Wakanda Tech
by ajyrrwsa
Summary: Ongoing story of two students of Wakanda's premiere technology institute.
1. K'Nabu Part 1

K'Nabu placed the transporter over the lock of his travelling case. He entered the location of his home for the next year and watched the box, which was almost as tall as he was, slide out of the transporter room of his house.

"I'm ready," he mumbled to himself following the case to be sure it attached itself to the rail, the only rail that traveled that far outside of the city.

Tomorrow he would finally attend the Wakanda Institute of Technology, his dream since he was old enough to program kimoyo beads.

"You could still attend Oronde's School of Combat," he heard his mother say.

K'Nabu turned to look at her. "I know," he replied. "You've told me many times."

"And you still haven't changed your mind?"

"I'm not having this conversation again, Mother," he said following her into their home. The door to the transporter room closed and the protection field re-sealed their home when they entered.

K'Nabu was the son of K'Dochi, the new leader and perhaps the most skilled warrior of the Border Tribe. K'Dochi had been working to earn his position since he was very young only to earn it after W'Kabi, their former general, betrayed King T'Challa. K'Dochi would have preferred to earn his rank in ritual combat as did his predecessors. Since he could not, he had to prove himself worthy to lead.

Easy to do with the support of the Dora Milaje. His wife, Niku, a member and a confidant General Okoye, managed to restore the standing of the members of the Border Tribe who chose not to fight the king the day Killmonger was defeated.

K'Dochi and Niku were warriors and expected their children to be warriors as well. Their eldest two daughters were attending Oronde's School at Combat located between the Border Tribe and the Panther Tribe and were working to entering the Dora Milaje training program. Their oldest son was already a member of the Hatut Zeraze, having graduated from Oronde three years early not only due to his skill in combat, but also his great aptitude for politics and government.

K'Nabu did not follow his family's path. He was determined to go into the city and attend the same school from which Princess Shuri obtained her qualifications. K'Nabu was determined to be a leader of science, much to the disappointment of his family and tribe.

"You could at least stay until you father returns from the Outer Border," his mother told him.

"He doesn't return for a week. I would miss the opening ceremony for my class. You and father can visit me in the city."

Niku took a deep breath. K'Nabu was stubborn like his grandmother and she knew she could never convince him to change his mind. She had only tried, at the request of her husband, to make one last appeal to K'Nabu.

She put her hand to her son's cheek. "You could do great things here."

K'Nabu smiled. "Hanam, Nuni, and K'Mado will do great things here. I will do better things in the city."

Niku laughed inspite of herself. "Wake me before you leave in the morning. I have a meeting with the General this evening."

"Yes, mother," K'Nabu replied. He went to his room to prepare for the day ahead.

* * *

The Wakanda Institute of Technology was the most prestigious school in all of Wakanda. The greatest of the country's technology had been created there: the first nanite, vibranium integration with kimoyo beads, the Dora Milaje spear, the Border Tribe's shield, the first hover vehicle, and it was where Princess Shuri revolutionized their magnetic levitation train system. It was the only place on Earth K'Nabu wanted to be and he was finally going to get there.

Of course, there was no real concern that he wouldn't get in. He was the top of his class in all of engineering courses. He was the youngest student to ever build a nanite network, even younger than Shuri. No one entering Wakanda Tech that year was more prepared than he was.

* * *

Living on the border meant K'Nabu had to ride his hover bike to the train. He would never need it in the city, so he sent back to his transporter room with a kimoyo and waited impatiently for his train to arrive. He knew he was early, but he was too excited to stay home any longer.

The train zipped through the country to the city that sat directly in the middle. The first stop for K'Nabu's train was the Border Tribe stop. He was the first and only person on the train when he got on. By the time he made it to Wakanda Tech's underground station the train was full of nervous students. The energy as they disembarked was almost frantic. It seemed that first years were the only people in the entire station, buzzing around in every direction, trying to find the lift that took them to their living quarters.

K'Nabu had visited the school twice the year before so he knew exactly where he was going. His lift was the third from the north side of the station. He followed behind a group of people apparently going to the same place. They were walking to slow for K'Nabu who was eager to unpack and get ready for the opening ceremony.

When the lift was full it rose quickly out of the station and above the city. Wakanda was beautiful. The sunlight reflected off of the palace and the light danced across the surrounding buildings. K'Nabu was so enamoured he almost didn't make it out the lift before it descended again.

The holograms of students present floated around the elevator. K'Nabu found his and waved his kimoyo beads over it.

The hologram transformed into directions to his room which were then downloaded to his bracelet. More students exited the lift, as K'Nabu followed the crowd into the common room.

"Wow," he said admiring the high glass ceiling. The photos of former students floated around the walls. Traditional music played softly as people traversed the room. Many of the students, K'Nabu knew, were already acquainted. Most people admitted into Wakanda Tech were either from the Panther Tribe or the Mining Tribe, so most of them had attended the same primary school. K'Nabu was the only person in his year from the Border Tribe. There was, as he expected, no one.

His bracelet directed him to the Third Quadrant. As each student walked through the entrance, a recording of the Head of Wakanda Tech, dressed in the red Mining Tribe robe that marked members one rank below the Chief, welcomed everyone individually.

"Welcome, K'Nabu son of Chief K'Dochi of the Border Tribe," she said as K'Nabu crossed the threshold to his new home.

"Border Tribe?" he heard someone say behind him. K'Nabu turned to see a boy a few inches shorter than him already dressed in opening ceremony clothes.

"Yes," K'Nabu said. Then he continued down the sparkling white corridor, lit by the vibranium glow from walls.

"How did Border Tribe end up here?" the boy said following him.

"By getting a perfect score on every entrance exam," K'Nabu responded. He was loud enough for those around him to here. Most looked at him as he said it.

"Ah," the boy said. "You're the one who raised entrance requirements." K'Nabu found his name to the left of a smaller corridor. On either side, there was door that led to quarters.

"Looks like we're hall mates," the boy said pointing to his name that was to the right K'Nabu's corridor.

The boy crossed his arms across his chest and introduced himself. "M'Ka, son of M'Do of the Mining Tribe."

K'Nabu did the same. "K'Nabu, Chief K'Dochi of the Border Tribe."

They broke their X at the same time. M'ka let K'Nabu pass into their corridor first.

"Will join me at the opening ceremony?" M'Ka asked.

K'Nabu nodded as the doors to his quarters slid open. He checked to make sure his things had made to proper place.

"I will see you there, M'ka," he said letting the doors close behind him.

* * *

All first years were required to attend the Wakanda Tech's opening ceremony. It was a traditional ceremony done at the beginning of any journey for a Wakandan. The gathering took place in the city center in the Dome of Wakanda where students could give thanks to the elders and chant the name of every Chief and the King. There would be food and traditional music from each Tribe. Then first years would have to opportunity to talk with older students and some professors.

K'Nabu was not interested in tradition. The only reason he didn't find some excuse for getting out of the ceremony was because of the Nanite Competition at the end. Upon receiving their qualifications, the winner of the competition would be recruited to any job in their field of study and the chance to visit the lab in palace.

The rules differed every year and the details of the game were not revealed until the moment is was time to play. All K'Nabu new is that every first year student would go against one fourth year student and every year the solitary older kid won. K'Nabu intended to change that.

He stood next to M'ka impatiently, going through motions of his country's traditions, just to make it to the end. He noticed his hall mate followed the ceremony with ferver. K'Nabu found him to be irritatingly similar to his older brother, K'Mado.

When the ceremony had finally ended, and everyone took the position, the Head Professor, shouted, "Wakanda Forever."

The crowd roared in applause.

"And now," said the Head Professor as his platform hovered at the front of the arena, "It is time to announce who was chosen of the fourth year students to compete in the Nanite Competition."

"Finally," K'Nabu mumbled.

"The genius is excited," M'ka said watching K'Nabu's face lighten up. "Don't be. First years never win."

"That changes today," K'Nabu said.

"...Ari, daughter of Zamona!" The Head Professor clapped and the rest of the university leaders followed suit.

"Ari," M'ka said, "I think she's from the Merchant Tribe."

"Doesn't matter," K'Nabu said. His hand fingers were already resting on his bracelet ready to begin as soon as the game was set.

M'ka, surprised by his intensity, did the same.

They watched as Ari descended the Leaders Platform onto the student level. She took her place facing the first years whose eyes followed her as she walked. She wore the traditional colors of the Merchant Tribe, but her clothes were modern. No fear could be seen on any part of her as she faced her opponents taking the same ready position, M'ka noticed, as K'Nabu.

"This will be a nanite collection problem. The rules are simple," the Head Professor's voice boomed throughout the now silent dome. "You will begin this competition with only twenty thousand nanites. Program your nanites to rest in this space." A hologram ring rose between Ari and the first years.

Every nanite has a unique signature to match its controller. Nanites controlled by a kimoyo can only work with that specific kimoyo bead unless reprogrammed to do so. This was a simple task as long as you had the time to get the proper permissions from the nanites' host. The problem that had to be solved was speed. Whoever took control of the nanites fastest would.

No one could see 20,000 nanites on their own, but the dome's computer said, "Collection complete," indicating that the students had done as they were told. A gray haze of nanites rested over the circle.

"Your goal, my students, is to collect every nanite inside of that ring. You may not disable or destroy any nanites including the ones programmed to your kimoyo bead. You may not push any of the nanites outside of the boundary including your own. If you break either of these rules you will be disqualified. Are there any questions?"

The first years began to mumble, but no one was brave enough to speak up. The Head Professor smiled. "You may release your screens when you hear the horn."

The dome was silent again and K'Nabu could feel his heart beating in his throat.

One second passed. Two seconds passed. Three. Four.

The horn sounded. Within seconds, K'Nabu could see a few students around him, including M'ka disqualified.

K'Nabu knew that most students would focus on trying to change the signature of every nanite. He knew that by the time anyone accomplished this, the capable fourth year would have collected that challenger's nanites. K'Nabu could already see a group forming near Ari's side of the boundary.

K'Nabu allowed himself to lose 5,000 nanites while he programmed the rest to act as a magnetic core. Then he had to release the core temporarily to change the magnetic orientation of every nanite he could scan. As he expected he regained control of his core and programmed it to spin. He could see the his cluster forming quickly. Now all he had to do was protect it and magnetics would do the rest.

He watched the fourth year with a smile. She looked worried. By this time there were only 10 of the 1000 participants remaining and her cluster was only the second largest. K'Nabu's continued to grow.

"We are down to two," said the head professor and crowd's eyes rose to the faces of the finalists.

"That's you!" M'ka said grabbing K'Nabu's shoulder. M'ka started cheering for K'Nabu and eventually every first year joined him overpowering the older students yelling Ari's name.

K'Nabu controlled 90% of the nanites and was sure he had done it. His cluster rose steadily and the cheering grew louder. Then at 98% K'Nabu's nanite count stopped. In the next second is dropped down to 95%.

"What?" he mumbled checking his protection system. It had been deactivated.

"No!" he said as his count dropped to 50%.

He tried to re-enable his program, but he seemed to be locked out and he couldn't understand why. Then he saw the signature of his kimoyo bead had changed.

"Collection complete," said the Dome's computer. Only Ari's face hovered overhead. The older students roared with excitement.

"Will K'Nabu please join us?" The Head Professor said. His platform descended next to Ari and he stepped down. Ari was an inch taller than him.

"She cheated!" K'Nabu shouted pushing his way to the front.

He ran over to the Head Professor to show what he found.

"How dare you," Ari said, "I do not need to cheat to defeat a first year."

"That is a serious accusation," the Head Professor said. He examined the results from his own beads.

"She disabled my protection program to control my nanites."

"Yes, I did."

"So you cheated!"

"No. The rules were that we couldn't disable nanites and I did not do that."

"That is cheap trick."

"A trick that worked," said the Chief Head of Wakanda Tech from the univeristy leader's platform. All eyes rose to her. "She worked around the rules, but did not break them."

Many first years shouted their disagreement to no avail. Ari was named the victor.

K'Nabu stormed out of the arena angrily as the First Night Fesitval, the dance party that ended the opening ceremony, began.


	2. Ari Part 1

Wakanda Tech was built directly next to the King's Tower so that from the throne room one could see every entrance and exit of every building at the same time. The tallest of the three buildings sat directly under the gaze of the King and the elders. Named after the old gods, Orisha was the most active area of the school. Students flowed steadily in out all hours of the day. Bright eyed first years, jaded third years, professors, and their assistants began and ended their careers between those vibranium glass walls.

Next to Orisha on its south side were the Common Grounds. This was the main location for any student gathering. Students took their midday breaks there, trying out their new inventions, showing off on their hover bikes, eating a meal, or just sitting in the high grass watching the planets traverse the solar system through sun reflectors.

In the southwest corner of the Commons was the smallest of the three buildings, Phakathi. This windowless vibranium alloy building housed the most advanced technology in Wakanda. Everything from the hover bike to the first nanite was developed in that building. Until Princess Shuri started overseeing the lab in the palace, Phakathi produced every major technological advancement from the preceding 350 years.

Farthest from the palace, directly next to Phakathi, were the Living Quarters. Broken up in to four sections students could find a space that suited their academic needs. Most first years found the Second Quadrant to be the most comfortable. It was closest to the train station and Orisha. Professors and their assistants often visited the Second Quadrant to help students outside of class. You could find your tribe represented through music and art and food was available in the dining halls every hour of every day.

Second and third years were less particular about their comfort and more interested in having space to develop their projects. They chose the First Quadrant, which had two built in labs and specialty classes held once a week. The most practical of the four sections, there was only one dining hall and every student had their own private hallway which they could lock down with the school's security if they chose to do so.

Students, who did not make it in to the First Quadrant, because their marks from their classes their previous year before were too low, were housed in the Fourth Quadrant. This Quadrant was the furthest from Orisha and the train station. It had the same dining standards as the First Quadrant, but three students shared one hall, there was only one lab, and no professor ever visited. If you were housed in the Fourth Quadrant in your third year, you were more than likely going to leave Wakanda Tech without the license to work with vibranium. You would still receive your qualifications, but any job in the Panther or Mining Tribe would be out of reach. This was the least populated of the four sections.

A position in the Third Quadrant was the most coveted of the four. Though the smallest of the four, it housed Wakanda Tech's brightest attendees. Students were chosen based on their entrance examination scores. The top four percent were admitted and then it was the duty of every resident to maintain their position. No one could get in to the Third Quadrant after their first year. Each hall was shared by two students, but each room had an area dedicated to project development. There was only one, very small dining hall but access was unlimited. There were no special classes or professor visits because there was an under ground tunnel that connected the Third Quadrant to Phakathi.

Ari was one of nine other fourth years able to maintain her position in the Third Quadrant. More than maintained, Ari excelled. She was the first student in 50 years to get perfect marks on her entrance examinations. Her first year she developed a way to pack 10 times the number of nanites in one kimoyo bead. This became the new standard for all of Wakanda by her second year. In her third year, she split her time between school and the Mining Tribe to study vibranium on an elemental level. She had mastered vibranium manipulation the year before and the school's administration thought her talents would be best suited in the efforts to use the energy of vibranium in its unstable form.

This was her goal before she earned her qualifications and left Wakanda Tech. Calculations done by her and her mentor, Professor D'jo, head of the Physics department, showed that if the unstable vibranium could be contained in a controlled environment, the energy the vibranium used to either become a solid or to explode could be harnessed. D'Jo called this containment field the Nunjari, after his late wife. He said that he could see the universe in her eyes. Ari laughed whenever she thought this.

Ari had spent most of her long holiday simulating the Nunjari in her home lab in the Merchant Tribe. During Wakanda's month long celebration of Manyano (a time to relax, visit family, and celebrate the unity of Wakanda), the school's labs were closed. Ari had even begged the Chief Head to leave Professor D'Jo's lab open but to no avail.

Ari was the first person through the doors of Phakathi the minute the school reopened. She spent two days before the opening ceremony correlating the data she had taken over the holiday with the data the professor had taken a few months earlier. She found that she hadn't made as much progress as she had hoped. However she knew that she had time. She had taken and passed all of her required courses to receive her qualifications and her application for the vibranium license was being reviewed by the palace. All of her time would be dedicated to Nunjari.

After narrowly winning the competition (which would have been a complete embarrassment since she was the first member of her tribe to ever be chosen to represent the fourth years in the opening ceremony), she enjoyed the festivities of the opening ceremony because she knew she would have no more free time until the start of the next holiday.

* * *

"Ari," her sister's voice called from her bracelet. "Answer me now."

Ari had been ignoring her sisters calls for the past few days. She wanted to remain focused on her work and she knew whatever her sister wanted was going to pull her out of the lab.

She reluctantly raised her wrist and the nanites created her sisters face.

"What do you want, Kazu?" Ari said. "I'm busy."

"You know what I want. You promised to come with me to Professor D'Jo's specialty lecture in Orisha's auditorium."

Ari groaned. When Kazu had decided to join Ari at Wakanda Tech, Ari was proud to have her sister follow in her footsteps and also to have another member of the Merchant Tribe on school grounds, since their numbers were small. She did not anticipate how much Kazu would need her. Ari got through school on her own. She expected her sister to approach things the same way.

"I'm busy," she said, "I'll go with you to the next one."

"You have to come to _this_ one," Kazu replied. "D'jo chooses his class assistants today. I want him to know you're my sister."

"He already knows that," Ari said. "And you being my sister will not help your chances."

"The lab won't disappear if you leave."

"Okay," Ari said. Kazu had already totally interrupted her chain of thought. "I'll meet you there."

* * *

Ari spent the majority of the lecture redoing the calculations Kazu had interrupted. As she found mistakes, she corrected them and sent the results to lab so the simulations would be running when she got back. She was so enthralled that she missed it when D'Jo called her name. The only reason she responded was because the audience began to clap for her as D'Jo asked her to join him in the front.

She reluctantly took the lift down from the seats to join him. After the greeting, he motioned for everyone to be silent.

"Will you please read the lists?" D'Jo said.

"Lists?" Ari said. She looked at the laser screen D'Jo was pointing to. She saw a list of five names for the class assistant position and a second list under her name.

"I don't understand," she said.

D'Jo laughed. "Yes, I noticed you were too busy to listen to my lecture." There was a low chuckle throughout the audience. "You will have an assistant."

When Ari didn't respond he continued, "You are doing great work. With a little help, I believe you can find a solution to the Nunjari."

"We already had a team, Professor," Ari said. "And most of my work is classified."

"The student chosen has shown great aptitude."

"A first year?"

D'Jo laughed again. "Someone almost as brilliant as you." He point to his laser screen again.

Ari, still confused, did as she was instructed.

First she named the five students chosen to be D'Jo class assistant. Her sister's name was on the list.

Next she looked at the name of the student chosen to be her assistant. Her heart dropped.

"K'Nabu, son of K'Dochi of the Border Tribe," she mumbled.

The audience clapped as the professor said, "His attack in the Nanite Competition was the best we've seen in a very long time. With Ari as his mentor he is sure to become one of the greatest people to ever attend the Wakanda Institute of Technologhy. Stand up, please, K'Nabu."

K'Nabu stood and Ari unwilling locked eyes with him. He had smug look on his face as they both crossed their arms.

* * *

Ari had pleaded with D'Jo to reconsider. None of the students who had ever worked in his lab had an assistant. She felt like assigning her one, and especially _that_ one was an insult to her intelligence.

The professor was determined to have K'Nabu mentored and to ultimately become Ari's successor. In a few months, Ari would have her license and qualifications and would most likely begin work in the palace's lab. D'Jo had been looking for someone to replace her for some time and after the opening ceremony he knew he had found him.

K'Nabu would have access to D'Jo's private lab in Phakathi and permissions to view all of the work done on Nunjari, though he would not be allowed to use any of the data without Ari. D'Jo had a feeling that with K'Nabu's quick thinking, Ari would solve the Nunjari and his lab would be responsible for the greatest technological feat in Wakandan history.


	3. Ari Part 2

In the southeast corner on the lowest floor of Phakathi directly next to the underground tunnel that connected Phakathi to the Third Quadrant of the Living Quarters, the vibranium doors leading to Professor D'Jo's personal lab slid open.

For the past month Ari had been the only one using the space. D'Jo designated the area for Nunjari experiments and Ari was his only lab tech. D'Jo spent most of his time teaching classes so Ari was used to having the lab to herself. Finding K'Nabu there at her lab bench, scrolling through her data was disorienting. His position had only been announced the day before and he was already invading her space.

"Good. You're finally here," he said when he saw her standing in the doorway. "I have studied all of your data. I'm ready to the examine the simulations. Could you unlock them?"

"You reviewed _all_ of the data?" Ari asked. He must have been there all night.

K'Nabu nodded. "It's fascinating. No wonder you were trying to keep the work to yourself."

"I'm not trying to keep the work to myself. I..." She stopped herself. She would not waste time explaining her motives to him.

Ari joined K'Nabu at the bench. She didn't care if he had D'Jo's blessing. There was no way he was getting access to the work that took her months to complete after only a few hours scrolling through the calculations.

She disabled his laser screen and it collapsed into the bench.

"I am sending you some notes on vibranium. Study them to understand why the Nunjari is possible. Then we will talk about unlocking the simulations."

"Every primary school child has read these notes," K'Nabu said examining the purple text over Ari's shoulder. "I know everything about vibranium."

"Fine," Ari said. "Without using any of my or Professor D'Jo's data, tell me why the Nunjari switch is possible."

For a millesecond Ari was concerned that K'Nabu would actually answer the question, but after a few seconds his face fell into confusion. She smiled and sent the information on vibranium to his kimoyo beads.

"This would be a waste time," K'Nabu said, "You can already prove it's possible."

"But _you_ cannot," Ari replied. "How can you help find a solution for a problem you don't understand?"

Ari waved her kimoyo beads over the lab bench. Electrons rose from the bench releasing a laser screen where Ari began to work.

"You are welcome to stay," she told K'Nabu, "You can not stand there. You're distracting me." She pointed the only other lab bench in the farthest corner.

K'Nabu considered his options and decided he didn't have time to argue. He left the lab and headed to Orisha.

Ari took a deep breath as he left. She knew he would complain to D'Jo, but she also knew D'Jo would do nothing. 90% of the work on Nunjari ahd been done by Ari. He may have a forced K'Nabu on her to speed up the process, but he could not control the way she managed him.

* * *

As Ari expected, K'Nabu did not return with an answer. Three days later he visited her in the D'Jo's lab to try to convince her to explain the problem to him, but she wouldn't do it. She repeated what she had told him before and he left frustrated. This was good for Ari. The longer he took the longer she had to work on her own.

It wasn't that she wanted all of credit. A year earlier she would have accepted any help that was offered. Now she was at critical point. She had been running the same simulations with slightly different parameters for weeks. The results always ended the same. She was so close to finding the right answer she could taste it. She didn't want to slow down and detour to get an arrogant first year up to speed.

Maybe K'Nabu wasn't arrogant. He was one the cleverest students to ever attend the school, which was obvious in the opening ceremony. And, like Ari, he did not come from a tribe where technology was the primary focus in education. A lot of his knowledge had to come from self teaching. Also according to Kazu, he glided through new material in his classes like a fish in water. He never stumbled over anything. He never studied for exams. He was always the first to complete his lab projects. He was already as well known as Ari throughout the teaching staff.

Beyond education, he was very popular with the students. He had the average Border Tribe build, taller than average and muscular. He wasn't as lean as most people who came from a combat tribe, but the facial brands of the Border Tribe made him stand out from the average student from the Panther Tribe. He didn't talk much except to his hall mate, again according to Kazu, but whenever someone needed help with their work he made himself available. Classes had only been in session for a few weeks, and K'Nabu was the most talked about person on the Commons.

So maybe he wasn't arrogant. Maybe Ari was a little jealous.

Either way she wasn't giving him an easy pass and eventually he stopped asking.

* * *

D'Jo was becoming impatient. He thought the genius duo he put together would produce the results he needed. However, K'Nabu wasn't has quick as he had hoped and Ari was as inflexible as he feared. He'd considered replacing them, but it would've taken months for even professional engineers to catch up, so he was completely at her mercy.

At first, D'Jo would visit his lab once a week for status updates. Twice he caught Ari idling in the lab. After that he would sit with her for two hours a day hoping that would make her move faster.

"You could do this," Ari would say after he "discovered" something Ari had known about for weeks. "You don't need me."

They both knew that wasn't true.

Before Princess Shuri began to revolutionize the use of vibranium, D'Jo was the expert. He assumed that nothing viable would come from her work, but within a year the school was using her work to reorganize the curriculum. D'Jo was left behind. He managed to hide behind his brightest students, but he knew eventually that wouldn't work. If the Nunjari problem was solved under his supervision then his lab would surpass the lab in the palace and his position at the school, and as one of the leaders in vibranium physics, would once again be secure.

* * *

Ari's routine was becoming soul crushing. For several days in a row she would go straight from her room the D'Jo's windowless, underground lab and sit in there for hours. She would've liked to say that she getting work done in that time, but honestly she had hit a brick wall. She spent a few hours on her simulation, but the rest of the time she spent watching American movies.

One day she couldn't face another hour without progress. She left Phakathi using the lift to take her to the main floor. She got off the lift and entered a hallway that led to Phakathi's main entrance.

The sunlight almost burned as she walked through the sliding doors. She didn't retreat. After her eyes adjusted, she realized sunlight and fresh air was exactly what she needed to clear her mind. She walked to the north side of the building to the Commons. Full of energetic, happy students, Ari almost felt out of place in the Commons. She froze unsure of what do. Join a sparring match? Get a snack and sit by the pond? Find an old friend and start a conversation?

She laughed at the last one. She never really had friends. She spent most of her first two years trying to prove herself so she never attended any social gatherings. By her third year, she had more free time, but was so out of the loop she didn't even know how to be social. By her fourth year, she stopped caring and decided she didn't have time for friends, especially since her little sister was finally in school.

"Ari!" It was as if she conjured Kazu from her own mind. She turned to find her sister standing across from K'Nabu and a boy she didn't know. They'd all seen her so she had know choice but the traverse the grounds to join them.

"This M'ka," Kazu said. Ari nodded at the boy next to K'Nabu.

"You already know him," Kazu continued. "They work together," she told M'ka.

M'ka laughed.

Ari looked at K'Nabu and then back at M'ka. "Why are you laughing?" she asked him.

"Well, you don't really work together, do you?"

"That is not my fault. He has a simple task. Once he completes it..."

"You know it's impossible," K'Nabu said.

"I did it. No one helped me."

K'Nabu's nostrils flared. Before he could say anything else someone called.

"Hey, Border Tribe." D'Kabi, a third year Ari recognized, waved at the group. "Come test your skills."

"Yes," M'ka said. He hit K'Nabu on the back. "I have not seen one good fight since I've been here."

K'Nabu was still looking at Ari, clearly trying to suppress an outburst.

"Come, K'Nabu," M'ka said running to the group of people setting up for a sparring match.

K'Nabu followed M'ka.

"What did you do to him, Ari?" Kazu said when K'Nabu and M'ka were out of ear shot.

"Nothing," Ari mumbled watching K'Nabu take position for his fight.

"I love him. Do not ruin things for me. Be nicer to him."

"You do not love him, dramatic little girl. I'm going back to work." Ari stalked away before Kazu could respond.

* * *

Ari sat in the lab staring at her simulation for the next hour. Her goal was to keep K'Nabu out of the way, but to see how angry he was made her regret her actions. It wasn't fair to keep him in the dark as long as she had. More than that, though she refused to believe he was actually capable of solving the problem, she knew having a partner would make the solution come faster. She was just so used to doing things one her own, having someone forced on her the way he was made her feel cornered. So she fought back and she was ashamed of the way she had done it.

The lab door slid open. K'Nabu stood there with his shirt in his hand. There was a bruise on his cheek and one on his chest.

"You lost?" Ari said. She regretted it immediately because K'Nabu was clearly not there for jokes.

"I'm done," he said, "You do not want my help. I will no longer waste my time."

He turned to leave, but Ari stopped him. "I do not want your help," she told him, "But I might need it."

K'Nabu wasn't expecting that response. The tension in his arms and face loosened, and his breathing became less erratic as he tried to understand what he was hearing. "What?"

"Come show me where you are getting stuck."

K'Nabu crossed the threshold slowly waiting for Ari to reveal that she was joking.

"You need that shirt on in this lab."

"What?"

She pointed to his hand. He hadn't even realized he was holding it. He slid the shirt over his head as walked to her bench.

He looked at her one last time to make sure she was serious. After she nodded, confirming she would help him, he released a laser screen and highlighted his calculations.

"No matter how many different ways I do this. I don't see how it is possible to harness the energy of unstable vibranium. If exposed to the environment, it explodes."

This was exactly the same place in which Ari was stuck a year earlier.

She put her hand over the simulation and enlarged so they could both see it.

"How do you stabilize vibranium?" she asked.

"Magnetic compression," K'Nabu replied.

"Exactly. Our mountain of vibranium is full to the top, but we only mine it from underground. The weight and polarization of the vibranium on top stabilizes the vibranium on the bottom. Watch what happens to unstable vibranium as it is compressed." Ari watched K'Nabu. He observed with as much intensity as she once had. She felt herself being reenergized.

"Unstable vibranium looks like a gas the naked eye, but on the molecular level it flows like a liquid. The more the vibranium is compressed the denser the "liquid" becomes. If you fill a box with water half way what when you smash the box to less than half of its size?"

"The box explodes."

Ari nodded. "Exactly and water sprays everywhere. What happens if you put that box inside of a bigger box before you compress the smaller box?"

"The explosion still happens, but the water is contained."

"Yes," Ari looked at him and waited until he put the pieces together.

"You harness the energy it takes stabilize vibranium."

Ari hit K'Nabu on the shoulder in excitement. "Only the natural compression of vibranium can stabilize it. If we try, it is just like the water in the box. But, if we decompress right before the critical moment of vibranium _that_ energy can be contained, like the water in the bigger box."

K'Nabu smiled. "That is how mag lev trains work."

"Shuri is a genius," Ari said with her eyes glued to the simulation.

K'Nabu scrolled through the data again. "I would like to stay," he said to Ari. "I have no classes to attend today and I would like to study this more."

She admired the sincere and fierce curiosity in his eyes.

She downloaded the her work into his kimoyo beads and then gave him access to the simulations.

"Fine," she said, "But you can not stand there though. You're distracting me." She smiled and pointed her head to the bench in the far corner.


	4. The Nunjari

_**This section just describes what Ari and K'Nabu have been working on in more detail. More of their individual stories coming soon!**_

* * *

The Nunjari consists of three main parts: the vibranium, the lasers, and the power supply for the lasers. The vibranium is held in its unstable form using the magnetic field formed by lasers, while the lasers' beams are directed to the vibranium's core. The number of lasers could vary depending on the most efficient use of the power supply. The most recent simulation used only two lasers which were place equidistant from the vibranium and on opposite sides.

To prevent an explosion the laser beams must match the force of the unstable vibranium. As the power from the lasers is increased, the force of the vibranium pushes against the magentic field until equilibrium is reached. In this state the total system consumes energy. However, as the force of the laser beams against the vibranium core is increased, the more energy to the vibranium produces to counteract the lasers. The problem is that right before the Nunjari reaches a positive power output the vibranium can no longer be contained.

In the environment of the vibranium mountain, this simply means that the vibranium stabilizes into solid metal. In artificial conditions, the vibranium further destabilizes and explodes. However, the theory is that if the lasers are configured correctly the vibranium will neither explode nor stabilize. It would produce energy that could harnessed and replace all other energu sources in Wakanda and eventually the world.

Calculations show that one Nunjari could provide energy to all of Wakanda for ten years, the only limitation being the sustainability of the lasers. If the Nunjari can be created it could potentially end the use of non-sustainable energy sources and decelerate the global warming crisis.


	5. K'Nabu Part 2

When they first met, K'Nabu thought Ari was a self-important cheater, who got too much praise from the professors. After working with her for only one day in D'Jo's lab, his opinion changed. The work on Nunjari had been done almost completely by her. Of course, it was based off of Princess Shuri's discoveries, but trying to prove that the energy of unstable vibranium could be used over long periods of time instead of temporary bursts, was entirely Ari's idea. She was on a team chosen by D'Jo in the beginning, but as the calculations became more complex the other members dropped out because they couldn't do the work and school at the same time. D'Jo tried creating a new team with a few professional engineers, but too much time was spent teaching them the properties of unstable vibranium, as that was something that was only recently added to Wakanda Tech's curriculum.

So Ari had been on her own for months and up until very recently she was making excellent progress. K'Nabu thought this was beyond impressive. And now since she opened up, she had no problem sharing all of her discoveries. He watched her face light up every time he said he understood something. She moved over the controls of her simulations like a magician, showing K'Nabu every detail from the lasers to the unstable vibranium model. She walked him through her most recent calculations, allowing him to take the controls whenever he was ready. He was learning more from her than he was learning in D'Jo's Basics of Vibranium class.

In a few short weeks K'Nabu could duplicate all of Ari's work that didn't pertain to the vibranium itself. Wakanda's most used natural resource was so much more complicated than K'Nabu expected and the possibilities of it were exciting. Working with Ari reinvigorated his passion for engineering.

* * *

K'Nabu began to sync his routine with Ari's. If he wasn't in class he was in D'Jo's lab. If Ari was eating in the Third Quadrant dining room, K'Nabu was eating in the Third Quadrant dining room. K'Nabu could be in the middle of studying with a group of students from his class and he would get up and leave without a word if Ari summoned him. And it worked both ways. No matter what Ari was doing, she would stop to meet K'Nabu in the lab if he needed her.

This new bond was not lost on M'ka. When school started K'Nabu was reliable. He showed up to all of the study groups. He was always available to work on class labs. K'Nabu would even followed M'ka around to every social activity. But, in the blink of an eye, K'Nabu was suddenly occupied with whatever Ari was working on. Plus Ari's little sister, Kazu, shamelessly followed K'Nabu everywhere he went. Now that K'Nabu could never be found, Kazu was almost always by M'ka's side waiting for him to show up.

The Merchant Tribe had a certain reputation for being the most loquacious tribe of Wakanda. Being responsible for the majority of the Wakandan market proved this to be a desirable trait. However, M'ka had a few relatives from the Merchant Tribe and he could not understand the reputation, until he had to spend multiple days with Kazu alone.

M'ka's marks had been going down without K'Nabu's assistance. Kazu's were staying the same, so she wasn't unintelligent. But M'ka believed she chattered on about the most ridiculous nonsense just to hear herself talk. She was driving him crazy.

"Please come to the dance party tonight," M'ka begged K'Nabu.

K'Nabu was stumbling into their hall very late at night as he had been doing for weeks.

"She won't leave me alone."

"Who?"

"Kazu," M'ka yelled. "You've abandoned me with a fool."

K'Nabu laughed.

"You know that girl has feelings for you. She won't leave me alone when she can't find you."

"I am working. You both know that." K'Nabu went into his room. "And now I'm sleeping. I will see you in class tomorrow. The door slid shut.

* * *

K'Nabu was lying when he told M'ka he had been working. At first, yes, much of his time in D'Jo's lab was spent learning about the Nunjari, but eventually he hit the same rock Ari had done weeks earlier. How do you keep unstable vibranium from causing an explosion after the first energy pulse? He had hoped he would've been able to help Ari find a solution, but the whole project was beginning to look impossible.

So they hadn't really been working over the past few days. K'Nabu would come to lab with Professor D'Jo after class. D'Jo would give Ari a work schedule, which they all knew she would just ignore. After D'Jo left the lab for his other duties, K'Nabu and Ari would go through the simulation a few times, get the same results, and then quit. They didn't intentionally quit of course, but hitting the same dead end left your mind to wander.

Ari would try to watch the American movies K'Nabu hated. K'Nabu would try to practice combat. (He had been losing his skill since he left home. His father wasn't there to force him to train.) Typical of the Merchant Tribe, Ari didn't care for fighting and watching K'Nabu swing his arms and legs around in the air irritated her.

"You can help me practice," he told her one day. He knew he could just go to one of the combat training facilities the Panther Tribe was famous for, but for some reason he could never get himself to leave.

"No," she replied as she scrolled through her movie list.

He pulled her away from the bench and made her stand in front of him. "You need practice. Your body is too soft."

Ari was annoyed.

K'Nabu smiled. Unlike the Panther and Border Tribes, children of Merchant Tribe practiced only basic physical training. One of the reasons he got along so well with the other students was because he was able to match their physical abilities.

Ari was taller than the average person of the Merchant Tribe. She did not wear the fitted suits or dresses nor did she ever cover hair with the traditional headdress of her tribe. She was, however, constantly wearing the Merchant Tribe blue. Other than that, she blended in almost as well as K'Nabu, except she clearly did not train.

K'Nabu also knew that Ari was competitive and would accept almost any challenge.

"Take your stance," he said.

Ari didn't right away. She watched as K'Nabu made space in the middle of the lab.

"We need music," she said pulling her hair back and tying it so it sat in one place at the top of her head.

K'Nabu looked at her. The kinks of her hair were almost always covering her face. Seeing her with her hair pulled up was distracting.

"Why are you staring?" Ari said examining her clothes for spots.

"I'm not," K'Nabu replied quickly. He touched a kimoyo bead. "Play training music."

Music of the Border Tribe, characterized by the rhythmic drums and prominent horns, filled the lab.

"Take your stance," K'Nabu told Ari again.

She separated her feet with her right foot slightly behind her left. Then she raised her fists in front of her face.

"Maybe we should try to get some work done," K'Nabu said as he readjusted Ari's feet and shoulders so she was standing correctly. He was starting to feel badly about the lying to his friends. If he had time to fool around with Ari, then he had time to spend in study groups and at parties. But if they were working, he could stay with her.

"This was your idea," Ari said.

He stood in front of her and took position. "Okay," he said.

"Okay," she said. "What do I do?"

"I'll attack and teach you how to counter."

For an hour K'Nabu tried to teach Ari basic defense. One punch combo and two high kicks later, Ari's poor defense skills devolved into dance moves. The one form of art that united Wakanda was music.

K'Nabu tried to maintain structure, but Ari couldn't keep up with his skills. She was a great engineer. She had zero combat ability.

"No one is perfect, I suppose," he said after Ari had completely given up and started dancing again. K'Nabu laughed as he watched her.

"You thought I was perfect?" Ari said spinning around one of the lab benches.

K'Nabu began to stammer trying to respond.

Ari stopped, her eyes narrowed. "It was joke, K'Nabu," she said.

"I know," K'Nabu replied realizing that it wasn't just the Nunjari he was interested in.

He touched his kimoyo bead and the music stopped.

"What's wrong?" Ari asked putting her hands behind her back.

"I don't know," K'Nabu replied.

* * *

Usually Ari would leave the lab with just enough time to get to the Third Quadrant dining room before it closed. Then she would work at the bench in her room until she fell asleep. K'Nabu would leave a little earlier to complete his class work, but that night they left together earlier than usual. K'Nabu convinced Ari to take a night off and Ari agreed, physically tired from her first combat lesson since primary school.

"You don't have to come to lab tomorrow," she said as they walked slowly through the stone-walled tunnel from Phakathi to the Third Quadrant. "Focus on your classes. I'll tell you if I find anything."

"What happens if you _never_ find anything?" K'Nabu asked. He looked at her. Her hands were folded across her chest and her eyes were watching her feet move forward.

"I try not to think about it," she replied. "My dream was always to run the lab in the palace. That will never happen now that Shuri has proven herself the most capable engineer in Wakanda. But I thought, if I could solve the Nunjari then I would at least be chosen to work there."

"You are brilliant," K'Nabu said. "She would accept you no matter what."

"Thank you, but she doesn't have to accept anyone. She's been doing find on her own for years now. I need her to _want_ me. Without the Nunjari, I'm just like everyone else.

"I'm brilliant too," K'Nabu said. "You could return the compliment."

Ari laughed. "You really are. D'Jo would never let the Nunjari leave his lab, so if I don't finish before I get my qualifications, I want you to continue."

K'Nabu promised he would finish what Ari started, but he knew he wouldn't have to.

Ari's kimoyo beads glowed. "Ari," Kazu's sharp voice reverberated against the walls. "Answer."

Ari's nostril's flares as they always did when her sister called.

Ari raised her wrist and Kazu's image formed from nanites. "Where are you?" Kazu demanded.

"There is only ever one answer to that question."

"Is K'Nabu with you?"

Ari hesitated before sending his image to Kazu. "He's here. We are on our way back to the Third."

"K'Nabu." Kazu's voice softened as his name left her mouth. "Why weren't you answering? M'ka called three times."

K'Nabu glanced at Ari from the side of his eye. Ari was avoiding eye contact with Kazu. He also noticed that Ari had created distance between them.

"I was busy," K'Nabu finally said. "I apologize."

"You missed the River Tribe's seasonal dance. You promised you would come. We had a surprise for you."

"Surprise?"

"We are still in the Commons. Please come."

"Sure," K'Nabu said. He was reluctant, but he had no excuse not to join her.

"Bye, Ari," Kazu said before happily ending the call.

"So I will tell you if I find anything," Ari said. "Have fun."

She started to walk to the dorms but K'Nabu ran ahead to stop her.

"There will be music and food. Please join me."

"I cannot."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to."

"That's not a reason."

Ari shook her head. "I should sleep. I don't really do that anymore and now I have time to."

K'Nabu knew she would not change her mind. He wasn't even sure why he had asked. Ari was famously anti-social.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow."

"I told you, you don't have to come."

K'Nabu smiled and stepped out of Ari's way. "Nunjari is the best part of my day."

Ari laughed. "It's the worst part of mine," she said before they separated.


	6. Ari & K'Nabu Part 3

K'Nabu could here the River Tribe melodies before he even exited Phakathi. The dance had ended an hour ago, but the Commons were still as active as if the festivities had just begun. Students and professors covered every inch of the grounds buzzing with excitement. When a few of his classmates spotted him, they rushed over to tell him what he'd missed.

"T'Challa was here," a girl said excitedly as K'Nabu joined the crowd.

"There was an elder's meeting today," one of the boys said, "They ended it early and joined the party. They just left. Where were you?"

"Working," K'Nabu said distracted. He had forgotten about the elder's meeting. As Chief of the Border Tribe his father was in attendance and had planned to meet K'Nabu when the business in the palace was finished. "How long ago did they leave?"

The boy didn't answer. A new song started and everyone began dancing.

K'Nabu touched a kimoyo bead. "Kazu," he said, "I just learned my father is in the city. I'm going to visit him in the palace."

"Don't do that!" she said. "Where are you? Come to the pond. Your surprise will only take two minutes."

"Okay." He sent his father a message to tell him he would be at the palace shortly. Then he pushed his way through the crowd toward the pond that sat at Orisha's back corner.

He spotted M'ka by the pond dancing.

"K'Nabu," he heard Kazu say from behind. He turned and found his mother's face looking back at him.

"Mother!" he said wrapping his arms around her. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"This is your surprise," Kazu said.

Behind his mother was his father dressed in ceremonial border tribe robes and his oldest sister Hanam, whose head was shaved clean.

"You got in!" he said he held out his hand.

"I did, brother." Hanam took his hand and they pulled each other in to touch right shoulder to right shoulder. A common greeting among siblings.

Hanam and K'Nabu had always been close. She was the only one of his siblings that was unconditionally supportive of his decision to become an engineer. Hanam herself had an aptitude for technology, but she wanted to protect the king and Wakanda more than she wanted to delve in the properties of vibranium. However when she lived at home she helped K'nabu with is school projects as much as she could. Now K'Nabu was all grown up. He was impressing his professors and piers and his name even flew around the palace every once in a while. Seeing how comfortable he was amongst the Panther Tribe students made Hanam very proud.

K'Nabu turned to his father and crossed his arms.

"Wakanda forever," he said.

"You look well, my son," his father replied.

"Thank you, Father."

His mother smiled and hugged him again. "We have heard amazing things about you today."

"You have earned the respect of many of your classmates and professors. We received nothing but praise for you," his father said.

"We all thought you were just crazy," Hanam said laughing. "We didn't know you were actually intelligent."

"Quiet, Hanam," K'Nabu's mother said.

"What took you so long?" Kazu said. "You missed the king! You're father introduced him to me and M'ka." She looked over K'Nabu's shoulder. "M'ka! Come."

M'ka was too busy with dancing to pay attention so Kazu went to get him.

K'Nabu laughed at Kazu as she went and then turned back to his family. "How long will you be here?"

"I live here now," Hanam said, "You can come visit me in the palace." Pride was in every part of Hanam's face as she said it. She had been working to become a part of the Dora Milaje for as long as K'Nabu could remember.

"We will leave after the dance," his father said. He took his mother's hand and led her to a more open area. "My guard is standing in front of Orisha. You should salute them."

"I will, father," K'Nabu said as his parents began to dance.

"We are proud of you, son," his mother said. To hear that after so many years of trying to convince his parents that attending Wakanda Tech was a great honor filled K'Nabu with joy.

"I must go," Hanam told him.

"Already?"

"I had permission to come see you and tell you the news," Hanam said hugging her little brother. "I have seen you. I must go." Hanam hurried away toward the palace.

K'Nabu was going to join his parents, who were by then talking to another professor, but Kazu stopped him and asked him to dance.

"Where is M'ka?" K'Nabu asked before responding.

"He's still angry with you," Kazu replied. "Just give him some time."

Before Kazu started dancing K'Nabu put his hands up to stop her. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

K'Nabu took a deep breath. "I appreciate what you did today with my parents, but..."

Kazu laughed. "I didn't do this. M'ka did."

"M'ka?"

Kazu nodded. "Weeks ago, when the elder's meeting was announced, he sent a message to your parents to come to the festival."

K'Nabu looked for M'ka by the pond. He was not there. "Why did he do this?"

"Don't be silly," Kazu said. "You're friends. And he wanted to thank you for the help with his classes. We both know how much you miss your family."

It was true. K'Nabu hadn't anticipated how homesick he would be, or used to be, before he started working with Ari.

"I should find him," K'Nabu said.

Right before Kazu began to protest, K'Nabu heard a low thud coming from the direction of Phakathi. No one else around him seemed to hear it. So he assumed it was the music and turned back to Kazu. Then it happened again.

"Did you hear that?" K'Nabu asked.

"Hear what?" Kazu asked.

K'Nabu looked again and spotted the Khu Seleko, the school's emergency team, running toward Phakathi.

K'Nabu panicked for a quick second before remembering that Ari had gone back to the Living Quarters.

Kazu saw the Khu Seleko and assumed the worst. She knew her sister would eventually make a mistake and cause a disaster. She rushed through the crowd and followed the Khu Seleko.

"Ari, answer," Kazu said as she pushed her way through the crowd, whose attention was now on Phakathi.

Ari did not answer. Kazu ran faster.

"Wait," K'Nabu called after Kazu. He followed her.

"She's not there," he said.

"Ari, answer me!" Kazu shouted as she crossed the threshold into Phakathi. She saw the Khu Seleko enter one of the lifts. Before she could follow K'Nabu stopped her.

"She went back to the Third," he told her.

"But she's not answering," Kazu said.

K'Nabu tried to call Ari again but to no avail. The panic returned. "It might not be D'Jo's lab," he said as they went into one of the lifts.

* * *

Ari was not used to having free time, but she felt like a few hours away from the Nunjari could help her solve it. So instead of going back to the lab after K'Nabu left like she'd planned, she went back to the Living Quarter. Instead of going to her room, where the temptation to run simulations was too great, she went into the dining hall.

She was only in the dining hall very late at night or very early in the morning, so she was used to the space being mostly empty. At that hour nearly every Third Quadrant resident was eating. Ari sighed. She had become so accustomed to her own seat at the far corner of the dining hall away from the entrance, but the table was full of people she recognized, but didn't know by name.

She took time making a food selection as she decided whether or not she was actually going to eat there or in her room. Then, from the corner of her eye she spotted, D'Miro, the closest thing she had ever had to a friend. They lost touch because school was her priority and she never let anything get in the way of that. D'Miro was the only thing she regretted giving up for her work. He was the more self-assured version of Ari, always on his own, dedicated, but he also knew how to relax. He knew how to make Ari relax. Over the years she found that she missed him, but was too embarrassed to do anything about it.

He ate alone, scrolling through his notes, as Ari watched. Her first instinct was to head to the exit to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, but she couldn't move. Students around had their faces buried in their nano-screens, clearly struggling to understand whatever it was that they were learning. D'Miro merely scrolled as if he was reading a good book. She laughed because he probably was. He was famous for being the last to leave the party while still managing to pass his exams the next day.

They were going to get their qualifications soon. He was probably going to be in one of the Panther Tribe's weapon facilities. Ari wanted to work in the palace. This was very likely the last time she would have an opportunity to talk to him.

"Hello," she said. She stood behind the chair opposite him holding her food.

He looked and stared, almost stunned. "Hello," he mumbled straitening up in his seat.

"Could I sit here?" she asked.

D'Miro froze again, unsure of how to respond. "Is everything okay?" he asked after a few seconds.

Ari nodded.

"Do you need help with something?"

She smiled and shook her head. "I just want to sit," she replied.

"Sure," he said. He took a deep breath as she sat. "You must have solved the Nunjari."

She shook her head. "I have not. I am _resting_."

She had a hard time pronouncing the word. D'Miro could hear the strain as she said it. "I am so sorry. I know this is very difficult for you."

They both laughed.

"Seriously," he continued, "I haven't seen you in here since our first year."

She nodded. "I know. I just get caught up in my work."

"I'm aware." The way he said it, Ari knew was remembering the last time they spoke.

Before Ari could respond D'Jo's voice sounded her kimoyo beads. She looked at her wrist and then back D'Miro.

"You can go," he said.

Ari pressed her lips together and stood. "I would like to finish this conversation."

"I would too, Ari."

"I would also like us to be..."

D'Jo called again.

"We will always be friends," D'Miro replied.

* * *

Ari hurried down the corridor to the lab. D'Jo was panicking about something and his voice made Ari worry.

The door slid closed after Ari entered. The lab was empty.

"Professor?" she said after touching a kimoyo bead.

Two lasers were running on K'Nabu's bench. Ari assumed that was what D'Jo was concerned about. She went to the bench to disable them. When she was closer she saw that a mass of unstable vibranium floating between the lasers. This was odd. K'Nabu didn't have access to the vibranium supply, and even if he had he wouldn't have set up the Nunjari without her.

She went to the supply area to retrieve a lab suit. The material, woven from vibranium, would protect Ari from harmful radiation as she handled the unstable vibranium. She moved some equipment around, but the suits were not in their usual place. She looked around again, but could not find them.

She looked at K'Nabu's bench, the vibranium was starting to turn green, a sign that it was reaching the combustion point. Ari hurried to the door. She would have to borrow a suit from another lab.

She stood at the door. They did not open. She pushed them they did not open. She entered the emergency override sequence into the door's panel. They did not open.

She looked at the bench again. The green was fading into yellow. The vibranium was going to explode at any moment.

"Professor!" she called into her beads. No response. She tried the emergency override sequence one more time, but it didn't work. The vibranium was almost orange.

Ari rushed back the supply area. She found some reflective material about has tall as she was. "Professor!" she called again

She put the long side of the material on the floor. She bent it in three places and set the open end near the door.

"Professor, please help!"

She climbed into the space between the reflective material and the door and created a nanite barrier over her head. The reflective material would repel the rays from the blast. The doors are meant the withstand five times the force of the blast. If her back was against the wall, the wall would take much of the energy, but it still wouldn't be enough. If she could get every nanite in her kimoyo beads and in the lab to shield her head she might survive.


	7. M'ka Part 1

M'ka watched Kazu run towards Phakathi. She was clearly panicking. K'Nabu ran after her as his parents yelled for him, demanding that he respond and tell them where he was going. After the second explosion many of the festival attendees started walking towards Orisha to get as far away from any danger as possible. Many people left. Those who remained observed Phakathi cautiously as the Khu Seleko surround the building.

The music had stopped and M'ka could hear the breathing of those around him. The guard of the Border Tribe stood between Phakathi and their chief ready to forcibly remove him if there was any immediate danger. At that moment however he and his wife were almost inconsolable. Their son had just run right into the unknown and they couldn't do anything. The Chief paced behind his guard, while his wife tried calling K'Nabu multiple times. There was no response.

M'ka knew there would be no response. If it was Ari who had caused that explosion (and M'ka was sure it was) and if she was hurt at all, K'Nabu was in the middle of doing something stupid trying to help her.

The Khu Seleko eventually began to clear the Commons. A vibranium explosion was concerned and Phakathi and the surrounding area had to go on lockdown just in case any radiation leaked from the building. K'Nabu's parents, M'ka saw as he followed the crowd, remained where they were as the Chief tried to explain what had happened to his son and that he wasn't leaving until he knew he was safe.

* * *

M'ka, son of M'do of the Mining tribe, his mother's only child was the last descendant of one of the most prestigious families in Wakanda. Though not related to any of the chiefs from any of the tribes, his family had high standing in the country. His mother's family ran the most successful mining facility in Wakanda, producing more than 60% of the countries raw vibranium supply. His father, who had died in a mining accident while his mother was pregnant, had no living relatives.

M'ka grew up alone. His mother was often at the mountain. He had no cousins and, because he had private classes instead of attending the Mining Tribe's academy, he had no friends for much of his life. During holidays he would attend the same events and socials that others attended but was forced socialise with the company's elders.

"So you're ready to lead when the time comes," his mother would explain after he begged to join the games with the other children.

Year after year he watched them trying to convince himself that his mother was right and that he should focus on earning his position as head of his family's company. Then, when it was time to choose a place study, he finally decided that he wanted to be as far away from his mother and the Mining Tribe as possible. He had a reputation amongst his peers as being superior. Attending a school in the Mining Tribe would almost guarantee that he would ostracized. Without telling his mother, he chose Wakanda Tech. He scored in the top 1% in the entrance exams.

His mother and other family members protested. Everyone in the company studied in the Mining Tribe. There was no better education in vibranium than in the Mining Tribe.

"You will remain here and that is final," his mother said.

"I will go," M'ka replied, "Or I will never run your company."

"How can you say that? It is _your_ company?"

"It isn't yet," M'ka said. It was the last thing he said to her before getting into his hover vehicle and driving toward the city.

M'ka was free. He could feel it in his bones. Leaving his home was exhilarating and he wondered if he would ever return. He was going to be a new person at Wakanda Tech. He was going normal and nameless. He could decide how people saw him. He could make his own family.

And he did almost immediately. Though, he didn't know it when they first met, K'Nabu ended up being a really great person. Quiet and observant, he mostly stood at M'ka's side during social events, which was great because he attracted people to him like a magnet. That's all M'ka ever wanted was to be surrounded by people, to be in the middle of the crowd.

An unfortunate side effect of this was Kazu, who latched on to K'Nabu the moment she met him. And the pair became a trio.

Then K'Nabu was chosen to work for that professor's assistant. At first not much changed. K'Nabu was still around. His presence pacified Kazu. They all went to class together and to school events together. They trained together and ate together and studied together. Until one day it just stopped. K'Nabu could never be found.

M'ka tried not take it personally. Besides he had made his mark in the school. He had no shortage of friends. He didn't need K'Nabu anymore. And even though she was annoying, Kazu was growing on him. The trio became a duo again. M'ka was satisfied with that.

But the day of the explosion, he realized something. He and K'Nabu were different. K'Nabu didn't want to be in the center of the crowd. He only did things because M'ka wanted him too. K'Nabu didn't have people to surround himself with. If Ari had hurt herself, K'Nabu was alone. M'ka didn't want K'Nabu to be alone. And this, M'ka discovered, was the friendship he had been longing for his whole life.

* * *

K'Nabu didn't return to his room which wasn't a surprise. Once the lockdown was cleared, M'ka took the tunnel to Phakathi to see the damage. It was his first walk down the long gray corridor. First years never had a reason to go in to Phakathi, but residents in the Third Quadrant often took the tunnel as a right of passage. M'ka never found the time.

The smell of burning vibranium filled his nostrils. He shuddered at the memories of home and tried his best to push him away, but the smell, even the way the air felt was too familiar. He hadn't talked to his mother since he classes began, a necessary step in his quest for freedom. If his mother wanted to talk, she would have to call him.

K'Nabu sat at the entrance of the lab closest to the tunnel. His head was back against the wall and his eyes were closed.

"K'Nabu," M'ka said taking a seat next to him.

"M'ka," K'Nabu replied, "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" M'ka said. "I thought you would be with her."

K'Nabu cleared his throat. "They wouldn't let me. I'm not family." He opened his eyes and looked at his kimoyo beads. "I asked Kazu to tell me where she is, but she's not answering."

"Your parents were looking for you."

"I know. I explained what happened."

"What did happen?"

"Misuse of vibranium," K'Nabu said mocking D'Jo. "An unfortunate accident."

M'ka laughed. "We all knew it was going to happen eventually. Nobody thinks the Nunjari is possible."

K'Nabu shook his head. "She did," he said, "But she wouldn't have tried anything unless she was sure. She wouldn't have tried anything without taking the necessary precautions. I don't understand how this could have happened."

M'ka wanted to tell a joke to lighten the mood, but he could see that it was not the time.

"You should get some sleep," M'ka said. "Sitting here won't fix anything. You can talk to the professor tomorrow."

K'Nabu took a deep breath before agreeing. "Thank you," he said before he stood.

"For what?"

"Thank you for inviting my family to the festival. You are a very good friend."

"Ha!" M'ka said turning into the tunnel. "I'm the best friend you've ever had."

K'Nabu smiled and followed him.


	8. K'Nabu Part 4

"Kazu," K'Nabu said with his forehead pressed against the door of his room. He brought the kimoyo beads closer to his mouth.

"Kazu," he said again. He felt completely useless not knowing anything, not being able to fix anything. Everything had a solution. These were the words he lived by, but for the first time in his life he felt like he had no control. For the first time he felt the weight of helplessness.

"At least tell if she's alive," he said. Images of Ari's body being pulled out of the lab fluttered through his head uncontrollably.

He was alerted to a visitor, but he didn't move.

"I'm going to eat," M'ka said from the other side of the door.

"I'll meet you in class," K'Nabu said. He wasn't sure if he was actually going to class, but he knew if he said that, M'ka would try to change his mind.

K'Nabu searched his brain for an answer. Assuming Ari had made a mistake, which he thought was unlikely, why had she been so careless? It didn't make sense. None of it made sense.

His parents were probably back at the Border. Once he'd assured them that he was well, which wasn't an easy task, they went home. Vibranium radiation exposure was very serious. Its effects on the human body still weren't totally understood and K'Nabu ran right into ground 0. The Khu Seleko were thorough in their examinations, however, and most of the radiation had burned off before K'Nabu and Kazu tried to force their way into D'Jo's lab.

K'Nabu growled in frustration. The school had closed D'Jo's lab completely. No one was permitted inside until the Khu Seleko finished the investigation.

So he couldn't see Ari and he couldn't see the lab, but he had to do something.

"There's always something," he mumbled turning on his lab bench.

He shuffled through Ari's work from the day before. Her last data entry had been from D'Jo's lab right before he went to the River Tribe festival. If she had had a sudden revelation she didn't record anything.

K'Nabu was studying Ari's last data set when he noticed the right side of his illuminated lab bench was glowing blue, indicating that had a message. He remembered seeing it and ignoring the night before. He assumed it was from his worried parents or siblings and decided he didn't want to talk to them. Now that he was trying to work the glowing, blue square was distracting.

He opened the message. It was a video.

He couldn't tell what he was looking at. The bottom half of the screen was blocked by something. The top half of the screen showed what looked like his workstation in D'Jo's lab. A fuzzy, yellow ball pulsated in between two laser beams. That was when he realized he was looking at the Nunjari. There was a loud blast and the video ended.

He quickly checked who had sent the message. "Ari," he mumbled replaying the message. He watched the video again and watched closely. The yellow ball hummed as the intensity of the light it was emitting increased. Then right before the explosion the yellow ball disappeared.

K'Nabu watched it again and again trying to understand why she would send him the message. Yellow ball. Two laser beams. The thing Ari had been agonizing over for a year was so bloody simple. Three parts. Three things that can be found in almost every place in Wakanda. A primary school child could build with supervision. Yet the answer perplexed the brightest minds in the country. How could something so simple have such a complicated solution?

"Are you coming to class?" M'ka's voice sounded through K'Nabu's kimoyo beads.

"Yes," K'Nabu said before turning off his communication. "One more time," he mumbled to himself.

Two lasers. Yellow ball. The yellow ball was unstable vibranium at the point of combustion. K'Nabu quickly pulled out some references to make sure he remembered ever stage. Raw vibranium starts off purple. When exposed to an environment outside of the mountain it begins to turn blue. Blue vibranium was usually safe to transport and store, so that and the stable metal was the only vibranium he had ever seen. After three months outside of the mountain, blue vibranium became pale. At this point, the vibranium was put in a blast chamber and was compressed until it stabilized. If pale vibranium is exposed to nitrogen too long it turns green. Then yellow. Then boom.

K'Nabu was witnessing the end of the vibranium cycle almost exactly how his professors described it. He expected the colors to be brighter and the buzzing noise (a characteristic of unstable vibranium) to be louder, but otherwise there was nothing surprising. Why Ari would care enough to record it and send it to him didn't make sense.

* * *

"I'm sure you are all wondering what has happened to the student involved in the vibranium accident," Professor D'Jo said as K'Nabu entered the lecture hall. There was a low murmur among the students who had clearly been discussing the matter amongst themselves.

K'Nabu found M'ka in his usual seat and joined him.

"The family has not released any information about the student involved. However," D'Jo continued, "I am sorry to say that the under my supervision has been closed until the school closes its investigation."

"Obviously," M'ka whispered to himself.

"Furthermore, all work on Nunjari will cease in this school and throughout all of Wakanda until the palace has reassessed the data and deems it safe for student research."

K'Nabu searched for Kazu among the students in the first row. As he expected, he did not see her.

"We will now stand..." Every student stood as D'Jo's hover platform rose above their heads. "And salute to the safe return of Ari, daughter of Zamona." D'Jo crossed his arms. The students followed.

M'ka stood upright with his usual fervor that normally irritated K'Nabu, who was never one to celebrate tradition. But that day, as he crossed his arms, K'Nabu felt for the first time the way the silly tradition connected those around him. He felt the strength of his country and his people. In the absence of tangible solution, K'Nabu found comfort in the moment in which everyone around him had the same thought and the same wish.

"Wakanda forever!" echoed throughout the hall.

D'Jo proceeded with his usual lecture. The day's subject was the elemental composition of the vibranium mountain. K'Nabu recorded the notes, but zoned out for most of the lecture. Occasionally, K'Nabu would tune into D'Jo's voice just in case he was called to solve a problem, but he found it difficult to concentrate. His mind was on Ari's video. There was something wrong with it and he was anxious to show D'Jo.

When the lecture was over, K'Nabu hurried to the center of the hall to talk to D'Jo. Three students made it to D'Jo first. One wanted to as a question about the lecture. One wanted to ask about the upcoming exam. One, a girl K'Nabu didn't know wearing Mining Tribe red, asked who was going to replace Ari.

"She hasn't gone anywhere," K'Nabu said before he could stop himself.

The girl looked at him and smiled. "No, of course not. But obviously she'll never be allowed to work with vibranium again."

"What?"

The girl turned back to D'Jo. "I have been doing my own research on the Nunjari for a few months now and with a little training..."

"She hasn't gone anywhere!" K'Nabu said again. "We don't even know if the accident was her fault."

"Still," the girl said with her back to K'Nabu. "Please keep me in mind, Professor."

"Thank you," D'Jo said. "I will."

"Professor..." K'Nabu started, but D'Jo put his hand up to stop him.

"But you should be nicer to this young man," D'Jo said. "He is been working in my lab. He will ultimately be the replacement., but he will need a partner."

D'Jo smiled at K'Nabu, who trying to compose himself to argue, but D'Jo spoke again. "Let's not worry about that now."

"Thank you, Professor," the girl said. She looked at K'Nabu one last time and left the lecture hall.

"Professor, you can't replace her," K'Nabu said as soon as they were alone.

"Walk with me," D'Jo said.

K'Nabu followed D'Jo through the faculty exit and into a glass hall. To the right K'Nabu could see the Commons. To the right stood the palace.

"You are possibly the brightest, most skilled, first year student this school has ever seen."

"Sir..."

"No, no," D'Jo said. "Don't be modest. You earned a perfect marks on the most difficult entrance exam we have ever given. You are the number one student in all of your classes. You are the only first year ever permitted to work in a theoretical lab. You must understand the significant of these achievements."

K'Nabu took a deep breath. "Professor. Thank you. I appreciate the compliment, but you cannot honestly be thinking of replacing her. No one could do what she does."

"I know to have formed a friendship over the past few weeks, but the reality is Ari may not survive."

"But she's alive," K'Nabu said. "She should've died instantly. The exposure alone should've killed her."

"Even if she does survive, she will have to reapply for her vibranium license..."

"She will get it back."

"Then we have to wait for approval from the palace to continue our work. That won't happen until next year. Ari will be gone, K'Nabu. You and I remain. These are the facts."

"Have you talked to Kazu?" K'Nabu asked. "Do you know how she's doing?"

"Like I said," D'Jo replied. "The family has not given any information. I do know that her injuries were great and she had to be sent to the Priests. Their healing methods are more advanced."

K'Nabu had been afraid of this. Only the worst medical cases are sent to the Priests.

"You are emotional now," D'Jo said. They reached the end of the hall and entered the back half of Orisha, the area where many first years have their first labs. "Take a day or two to relax. We can talk then."

D'Jo gave K'Nabu's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and entered the lab to his left.

"Wait," K'Nabu said before the door slid shut. "Was I always the replacement?"

"No," D'Jo replied. "You were a precaution."

* * *

K'Nabu had a headache when he left Orisha. He thought his talk with D'Jo would make him feel better, but it left him uneasy. D'Jo seemed way too prepared for the destruction of his lab and the hold on his studies. He had planned to show D'Jo Ari's video, but was pretty sure that Ari's interests were not D'Jo's priority. Even if the video meant nothing, K'Nabu decided to wait until he understood it to share it with him.

He did get new information though. Ari was with the Priests. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to see her, but he might find Kazu and she could relay the details of Ari's condition.

"M'ka," K'Nabu called. M'ka's image materialized from the kimoyo beads. "Will you join me at the temples?"

"Why?"

"You can guess."

M'ka took a deep breath. Though he understood his friend's connection to the sullen fourth year, he was not keen on being involved with her himself. But he had no labs that day and no festivals to attend.

"I'll meet you in the Commons," M'ka said. His image disappeared.


	9. M'ka Part 2

In the old days, before the discovery of the heart shaped herb, the Priests were the peacekeepers of Wakanda. The voices of reason and unity, the Priests provided sanctuary to those who refused to fight in Wakanda's many civil wars. While the tribes quarreled endlessly over the territory around the vibranium mountain, this small group, a tribe in their own rite, built a temple underground in the center of the country far away from the mountain. There, they spent centuries developing the most powerful medicine in the world.

After the heart shape herb was discovered, the Panther Tribe united Wankanda. Together, the Priests and the Panther Tribe rid Wakanda of all disease and set the country on the path to be the most stable and most advanced society in the world. The Panther Tribe built their palace over the Temples and the Priests became spiritual leaders and protectors of tradition.

They led coronation festivals, union ceremonies, and Wakanda's only cultivators of the heart shaped herb. However, they always remained true to their origins and continued to produce remedies for the most serious medical cases. Though occasions were rare, people chose the intricate healing practices and medicinal techniques when modern medicine could not heal them.

Everyone knew Ari would be sent to the Priests. The fact that she was alive at all was a miracle. No one other than the Priests would have any chance of reviving her. The problem was that patients under the Priests' care were hidden away in the Temples. Even family members could not get to them until the Priests gave permission. The only visitor ever allowed to see an ailing patient was the King or Queen and even they had to consult the elders beforehand.

Why they were even going to the Temples, M'ka was unsure and K'Nabu was giving no explanation.

* * *

They took a Skyrail from Orisha to the palace. Activity near the palace that time of year was usually minimal. Elders meetings had concluded. Tribe leaders returned to their villages. The royal family went on a holiday and students were still attending classes. The few people that were in the yard between the palace and the entrance of the temple shuffled through quickly trying to get to their destinations.

K'Nabu didn't immediately go to the large, stone Temple doors. He walked to a statue of the one of the old queens, slowly and deliberately with his eyes straight ahead.

"You're going to get me in trouble, aren't you?" M'ka said. K'Nabu always accomplished his goals. If he wanted to see Ari, silly things like tradition and tribal law weren't going to stop him.

"Everything will be fine," K'Nabu replied. When they reached the statue K'Nabu turned and walked towards the palace away from the Temple.

"I would love to know what we are doing," M'ka said.

"I need Ari's kimoyo beads."

"Okay," M'ka said. He wasn't expecting that. "Why?"

"She sent me a video right before the explosion. I don't understand, but I know she was trying to tell me something."

"It could have been an accident. She was seconds from death. She probably doesn't even know she sent you anything."

"She won't die," K'Nabu replied calmly. After a deep breath, he said, "D'Jo is trying to get her removed from the Nunjari project. I need to figure out what she was trying to tell me before he does that."

"The Nunjari has been shut down," M'ka said, "He won't be able to _do_ anything."

"I think that's the point," K'Nabu said. "He will prolong the investigation if need be to make sure it does not end until after Ari gets her qualifications."

"Then she gets none of the credit for her work, if he solves it," M'ka said finally understanding. "So you're going to risk my qualifications and yours to protect hers."

"Only mine. All you have to do is convince Kazu and her family to meet you here."

"You clearly have a plan that you will have to explain, but first," M'ka said stopping K'Nabu and forcing him to make eye contact. "You've known this girl for a few months and have hated her for most of that time. No one ever expected her to solve the Nunjari. The palace will probably still hire her, if anything, because she survived a vibranium explosion with no protection. She doesn't need your help. If she could tell you that, she probably would."

M'ka had struck a cord. K'Nabu's usual cool confidence was fading from his eyes as he tried to form a response, M'ka knew he didn't have.

"Will you help me or not?" K'Nabu asked.

M'ka knew he was never going to change his mind. "I have nothing better to do today."

* * *

Kazu emerged from the behind the Skyrail doors followed by two older people M'ka assumed were her parents. Her dark eyes were not sparkling. There was no smile on her face. Her hair laid flat on her head. Her clothes were untidy. Her shoulders were slouched. Kazu wore the weight of her loss. Her parents, tall, proudly wearing Merchant Tribe blue took a surer step away from the Skyrail as it glided away.

Per K'Nabu's request, M'ka asked Kazu's permission to join her and her family in the Reflection Temple. That Temple was open at all times to any citizen of Wakanda. It was a place for meditation and spiritual healing. Every Tribe had a Reflection Temple. M'ka had never been in one and had never planned to be in one. He found the need for spiritual healing to be old fashioned, but he respected tradition.

"Kazu!" M'ka called.

She saw him and managed to pull up the corner of her lips. She waved. She said something to her parents and then they all walked toward M'ka. He found himself intimidated by the sight of them. It was rare to see so many members of the Merchant Tribe outside in the city. Though small in stature, Kazu's family captured the attention of those surrounding them and then of M'ka as they joined him.

"Hello, dear friend," Kazu said hugging M'ka.

"Hello," M'ka replied. "How are you doing?"

Kazu released him and quickly wiped her eyes. "These are my parents." She cleared her throat and continued the introduction.

M'ka crossed his arms. "M'ka, son of M'do," he said. He broke the X on his own and bowed, the greeting for those in mourning.

Kazu lifted his head. "Stand," she said, "She is still with us."

M'ka smiled. "I'm glad. Thank you for letting me join you today."

"No, thank _you_ ," Kazu's mother said, "We were surprised Ari had such dedicated friends."

M'ka laughed in spite of himself. Ari didn't have friends. She had a weird relationship with K'Nabu, but everyone knew she was ascetic.

"We are more of a group," Kazu said quickly, "Ari, M'ka, K'Nabu, and I."

"K'Nabu wanted to be here," M'ka said trying to change the subject. "The professor in charge of Ari's project is keeping him busy."

They looked unconvinced and very annoyed. "Shall we," Kazu's mother said leading them toward the Temple.

M'ka marched behind Kazu's family along the path to the Reflection Temple. He looked quickly toward the palace and saw K'Nabu across the yard. He was standing near another group of people with his back facing the Temple. M'ka tapped a kimoyo bead. It glowed purple. He saw K'Nabu tap a bead behind his back. M'ka's bead glowed blue.

A priest greeted M'ka's group at the entrance. She chanted the traditional poem of peace, touched everyone's hand and let them pass.

The room was silent. Light came through one window in apex of the dome ceiling and reflected off of the gold-painted stone walls. The heart shape herb had been carved into the stone floor, every petal touching a wall. The symbols of every tribe could be found along walls, equidistant just over M'ka's head. He found the symbol of his Tribe. He hadn't seen it in a while and found himself staring. He traced it with his finger, remembering every curve as he did when he was younger. When he closed his eyes, he could see the mountain, the sight of which usually brought stress and confusion.

He exhaled.

He turned to find Kazu and her parents seated in the center of the heart shaped herb holding hands and smiling. The heavy expression they had worn moments before they entered the Temple was gone. M'ka joined them and took Kazu's hand. As he did he noticed one his kimoyo beads was glowing green and he remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

"Will you see her today?" M'ka whispered his voice barely breaking the silence.

Kazu nodded. "She is doing well. She is healing. She will see _me_ today. I know she will."

M'ka took Kazu's other hand. "She will. She is strong."

* * *

M'ka hurried as far away from the Temple as he could. "They must have drugged me," he mumbled to himself. For a millisecond he was actually considering returning home.

"M'ka," K'Nabu's voice came through the kimoyo beads, "Good job."

"Was there any doubt?"

"Yes," K'Nabu replied.


	10. Ari Part 4

Darkness was weird. Ari was used to waking up on or near her lab bench that was usually glowing with whatever she had been working on the night before. Had she actually taken a break? Did she actually relax for the first time since she stepped through the doors of Orisha?

Just as she was about to congratulate herself on her new accomplishment she became aware of a serious headache. She wanted to open her eyes and sit up. She tried to open her eyes and sit up. She could not move. She couldn't even feel the rest of her body.

She'd experience something similar when she was little. She was awake but her body didn't know it yet. All she had to do was let her mind go back to sleep so that her body would be back in sync.

* * *

Darkness again. Ari found it unsettling and tried opening her eyes immediately. Something was wrong. The headache was gone. Her body was still not her own. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing.

"Be still," a voice echoed in the darkness.

"Who is that?" Ari asked, but she realized she was hearing her thoughts, not her voice.

"You are rushing," the voice replied. It was woman. Ari was sure she was going insane.

"Your body is not ready," the voice continued. "Rest."

Ari lost consciousness.

* * *

The light was blue and it burned her eyes. She closed them.

"Open your eyes."

Ari recognized that voice but she didn't remember where she'd heard it. She tried to open her eyes again.

The light was orange now and not as bright as the blue light. Ari forced her eyes open. Everything was fuzzy. She blinked a few times but she still couldn't make out the details of what she was seeing. She rubbed her eyes and blinked again.

"Ari." She knew that voice.

"Mother," she replied. A coughing fit came over her.

"Yes, my daughter."

Ari turned her head toward the voice and saw the faces of her family.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. She rarely saw her parents while classes were in session.

"Oh, Ari," Kazu said throwing herself on top of her sister.

Ari tried to sit up, but Kazu would not release her. "I am happy to see you too," she said patting her on the back.

"Hello, Ari." Opposite her family was a woman dressed in the traditional garments of the Priests. "I am Fei."

"She's your healer," Kazu explained as she pulled Ari so that she was sitting up.

"Healer?" Ari asked.

"Do you remember anything about your accident?" Fei said.

"Accident?" Ari looked beyond the people surrounding her and examined the brown rock walls. All of the walls were bare except for the one that was directly in front of her. It showed the digital image of Ari's body next to her health stats. Various places on her skull, brain, heart, arms, and legs were illuminated. Ari recognized this image as one that was used in medical centers to detail a patient's injuries or ailments.

"It is not uncommon," Fei said to her family, "For people exposed to vibranium radiation to have little memory of some of the time before exposure."

Ari looked at Fei. "I was exposed to vibranium radiation."

"Yes," Fei replied. "Two days ago."

"Two days?"

"You've been unconscious," Ari's mother explained.

"How did this happen?" Ari asked. The last thing she remembered was fooling around in the lab with K'Nabu. "Is K'Nabu okay?"

Kazu looked at her parents and then at Fei.

"Was he exposed?" Ari asked when no one responded.

Kazu shook her head. "You were alone."

Ari was relieved, but didn't respond right away. She needed time to process what was happening. She listened carefully as the healer explained all of her injuries. Apparently she had had several broken ribs, brain damage, and third degree burns. Her ribs and skin healed within hours after arriving to the Temples, but her brain damage was severe. Ari had to be sedated so her body would remain completely still while procedures were performed on the brain to reduce swelling in some places and regrow tissue in the others.

"Whatever you did to protect yourself saved your life," Fei said sitting next to Ari. "The majority of the organs were unharmed, and your brain responded to treatment almost immediately."

Ari nodded unsure of what to say. She didn't remember anything and Fei and her family looked at her as if she had the answers to all of the questions in the universe.

"Will she get her memory back?" her father asked.

Fei shook her head. "Her body experienced an extreme trauma. Her brain eliminated the memories to protect itself from experiencing the events in her mind."

"So I discovered something that many believed was impossible, but I can't even remember what I did?"

Fei nodded.

"Can I see the lab?"

"You're not going anywhere for at least two more days. You need to be monitored."

"And the lab is closed," Kazu said. "No one's allowed in there."

Ari shrugged. "I guess that's fine. I duplicated my work and saved it on the bench in my room. K'Nabu also has a back up."

Kazu looked at her parents and shook her head. Ari was not ready to here that her vibranium license had been revoked. Kazu wanted to wait until the Priests were sure she was well before giving her the news. She dreaded the moment. Ari's whole life was wrapped up in her work.

"If you don't have anymore questions," Fei said standing, "I will leave you."

After Fei was gone, Ari's parents gave her hugs as long and as hard Kazu had just done. Then they sat and talked about home and family. Then they ate. Then, when Ari started to fall asleep, they left.

Ari's family had skillfully avoided the subject of school which was all the information Ari needed. There were only two ways to be exposed to vibranium radiation. One was going into the restricted areas in the mountain. The other was being in proximity of a vibranium explosion. Since she was pretty sure she hadn't been in the Mining Tribe, she was sure she'd been in an explosion. That would also explain why the lab was closed.

So she had been in D'Jo's lab while working with unstable vibranium. That seemed unlikely, but if she had she would have certainly gone through all of the safety procedures. She would have been wearing protection. She would have kept the vibranium in a neutralizing zone so if an explosion had happened most of the energy would've been absorbed. And even if she hadn't done any of that, she would have just left. Why didn't she just leave the lab? It was blast proof.

She didn't believe she could make so many mistakes, but the fact remained that something had gone wrong and she was the only one in the lab. Misuse of vibranium was taken very seriously in Wakanda, so the school and D'Jo would be under investigation. That also meant Ari's vibranium license would be in dispute. Her family didn't want to upset her which is why they avoided the subject.

"So no Nunjari," she mumbled lying in bed. She tried to pretend like it wasn't the end of the world, but she couldn't. Tears fell from her eyes uncontrollably.


	11. K'Nabu Part 5

K'Nabu's plan to clone the signature of Kazu's kimoyo beads to monitor any data she received or transmitted worked perfectly. M'ka lifted Kazu's encryption codes using a program K'Nabu had been playing around with long before he got to Wakanda Tech. Then M'ka sent the data to K'Nabu's bead so that he would know when Kazu was finally allowed to see her sister.

It happened faster than K'Nabu had expected. He hoped, as he left his room, that it was because she was well.

It was late at night so the light rail was empty, which was good. Even though he would gain access to the Temples, at some point someone would notice that Kazu was in two places at once. If he wasn't seen going to the Temples, then no one would suspect it was him.

Kazu had entered through the main portal approximately ten minutes before K'Nabu made it to the courtyard. The time difference was significant. There was a chance that this difference would cause an error in the Temples system and would ultimately render K'Nabu's efforts useless. But K'Nabu was relying on the fact that no one had ever tried to enter the Temples without permission. The Priests would only care about who was entering not when they were.

And he was right. The portal doors slid open to an empty corridor.

K'Nabu exhaled as he stepped across the threshold. Having little regard for rules and tradition was fine in name, but he was finding it stomach turning in practice. He felt all of the disrespect his elders had warned him against over his lifetime. He felt M'ka's disapproving stares during school chants and salutes. He heard every word of his father's speeches about honor as he traversed the stone-walled hallway to his next obstacle.

The children of Wakanda learned about the history of the Priests and the Temples. As a way to keep war and conflict away from the Temples the Priests developed a way to seal off the Temples to any person who had not achieved inner Priests physically measured a chemical imbalance in the human brain that was proportional to anxiety levels. A harmless aerosol was emitted from a statue of a silver panther that laid over the entrance to the main tunnels of the Temples. Passersby exposed to the mist would secrete that chemical if their mental balance did not reflect inner peace. If the silver panther sensed this chemical that person would not be allowed any further into the Temples without the approval and guidance of a Priest.

Before entering the Temples K'Nabu did not consider this a problem. He was level-headed by nature. Now that he was actually breaking the rules he was afraid the silver panther would catch him and ruin everything.

But it didn't. K'Nabu walked right into the tunnels with no problems.

The tunnels in the Temples led to a vast underground network. All that was in the Temples was known only to the Priests. Even the King didn't know all of the secrets. K'Nabu had to be very careful about how he navigated the tunnels. One wrong move and he would be found and removed. He tapped a kimoyo bead and GPS map of Wakanda expanded. Two dots glowed in the center. One dot was Kazu. The other was his beads masked with Kazu's signature. He zoomed in until he could get a clear idea of how to get to Kazu. It looked like he should start with the tunnel furthest to the left.

The paths ahead of him and behind him were dark. The light in the tunnel moved with K'Nabu so that there was only enough light for K'Nabu to see a couple of feet around him. K'Nabu used light from his kimoyo beads to get a better view of what was in front of him, but all he could see was seemingly endless tunnel.

He followed his map slowly making sure he didn't take any wrong turns until he finally reached a well lit end. It was a cave lit by old vibranium lights with one metal door. Kazu, and therefore Ari, were on the other side. He created a comm link with Ari's beads using his own signature so he could download data directly to himself.

It was very illegal and usually impossible to access data from someone without their knowledge and permission. K'Nabu technically had permission, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to initiate the download. Ari had given access to all of her data concerning the Nunjari. It didn't matter where the data was stored. He did not have her knowledge, however, but he hoped she would forgive him and not tell anyone when he explained why he was doing it.

Before the download was complete, the door opened. K'Nabu was completely exposed with no place to hide, but he was not leaving until he got everything he came for. He climbed the stones until he found position to balance over the doorway.

"If you don't have anymore questions, I will leave you," he heard someone say.

A woman in purple robes appeared under him and he held his breath. She stood there until the doors slid shut and then she walked straight into the tunnels. When the light from the tunnel disappeared K'Nabu let himself fall to the floor without making much noise.

The download was complete by then, but K'Nabu found himself staring at the door. Ari was on the other side dead or alive. K'Nabu didn't know. It was encouraging that her kimoyo beads hadn't been deactivated, but he still couldn't be sure unless the doors opened again and he at least heard her voice.

But he didn't wait until the doors opened, he darted down the tunnel until he found the exit.

* * *

D'Jo's students had noticed he had been jovial since the explosion. He was more pleasant during lectures and more receptive of questions than usual. Word got around to other school faculty about his behaviour, but no one found it odd. D'Jo had been unhinged over the past few years, as professors usually did when their careers were waning. He was on his last leg and everyone just saw his lab disaster as his breaking point.

D'Jo, however, was truly happy. For the first time in a very long time he could relax and regroup. He could plan out his next moves carefully to ensure that the Nunjari was solved under his supervision. When the investigation concluded that Ari alone was the only reason the Nunjari failed catastrophically, D'Jo would be able to resume the study with a fresh start. He would carefully choose a team with the right skill set. He would train them as best as he could and when he felt like they were ready, he would appoint a leader, probably K'Nabu, if not a fourth year. With multiple elite minds the puzzle that was the Nunjari would be cracked. He would receive the credit and he would finally be regarded as the greatest mind in Wakanda as it should have always been.

K'Nabu also knew why D'Jo was so happy. The second he figured out why Ari had sent him that video he stormed into one of D'Jo's lectures and punched in the face. D'Jo hit the ground like a rock, blood gushing from his nose.

K'Nabu yelled obscenities as he tried to kick him, but he was pulled back by three or four other students. K'Nabu struggled as he was dragged out of the lecture hall at D'Jo's command.

"Have him locked up immediately!" D'Jo said as he summoned the Khu Seleko.


	12. K'Nabu Part 6

"He tricked her," K'Nabu explained.

M'ka sat on the floor and looked at his friend. He was lying on the ground with his arm over his face. The purple light from his nanite prison reflected off of his dark skin.

"So you attack him in front of 200 people?"

K'Nabu took a deep breath. He had been in the school's protection facility at the bottom of Orisha for two days. In that time he had been interviewed by ten different people from the teaching faculty, the Khu Seleko, and even someone from the Dora Milaje. He wasn't sure he had the energy to go over it all again.

"M'ka, thank you for coming, but I am tired."

"I am missing class to visit you," M'ka replied. "I deserve an explanation."

"Okay," K'Nabu said. He sat up leaned against the metal wall opposite M'ka so that they were facing each other.

"You look tired, my friend."

"I know," K'Nabu replied.

"What happened?"

K'Nabu stretched his arms before answering. "Ari sent me a video showing the moments before the vibranium explosion. It's why I - well, you remember."

M'ka nodded indicating that he understood. K'Nabu would be in even more trouble if anyone found about what he'd done at the Temples.

"Once I had all of the information," K'Nabu said referring to the data he'd gotten from Ari's kimoyo beads, "I understood what she was trying to show me. It was D'Jo's nanite signature. She managed to display it on the lab bench where the vibranium was just before the explosion. So I checked with the school vibranium store, and D'Jo was the one who'd checked out vibranium under Ari's name. Then he must have taken the safety suit and rigged the door so that once it closed it wouldn't open again, but I can't prove that."

M'ka was silent as the weight of what he was learning seeped in.

"He was trying to kill her?" he asked after a few seconds.

K'Nabu nodded. "I think the goal was to stop the clock on the Nunjari, so that no one would be able to solve it. Blaming it all on Ari insured that when the work resumed, it would resume in his lab under his supervision. And she would be dead, so she wouldn't be able to defend herself."

"And even if she did survive, which was supposedly impossible, exposure to those levels of radiation would certainly damage her memory."

"Yes," K'Nabu said.

"That is a serious accusation," M'ka said, "The consequences will be huge if you are wrong."

"I'm not wrong," K'Nabu said, "I just hope someone can prove it."

M'ka shook his head. "It wasn't worth it. You gambled your whole future for one person."

K'Nabu was sick of hearing that from his parents and his siblings. He did not want to hear it from his best friend. "D'Jo is dangerous. If he gets away with what he's done, what stops him from doing it to someone else later?"

"That's not your responsibility."

"Is that all?" K'Nabu said. He did not want to argue.

M'ka pressed his lips together. K'Nabu was not going to see reason.

"No," M'ka replied. "I come with a message."

M'ka watched K'Nabu's eyes flash with curiosity. "From Kazu?"

M'ka shook his head. "From Ari."

K'Nabu jumped to his feet. "M'ka! What is it?"

"She says she knows what you did, but she won't tell anyone. And she's glad you're okay."

K'Nabu frowned. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"You're sitting in a holding cell," M'ka said.

"Yes, but how is she doing?"

"She's well, K'Nabu. She's out of the Temples. She's with her family. She's healthy."

K'Nabu walked toward the nanite barrier that separated him from M'ka.

"She can't visit," M'ka said anticipating K'Nabu's next question. "She's not allowed on school grounds yet."

"Okay," K'Nabu said.

"Shall I send a reply?"

"Reply?" K'Nabu hadn't thought of that. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know." There was more information from Ari's video that he hadn't shared with anyone, information she deserved to know, but he decided it was best to tell her in person.

"Someone's coming," K'Nabu said. Both he and M'ka could hear footsteps coming down the corridor.

M'ka stood and faced the entrance. The Chief Head of the school entered. K'Nabu and M'ka crossed their arms immediately.

"Relax," she said, "There's no need for ceremony here." She looked at M'ka. "You should be in class."

M'ka nodded nervously. "Yes, I will go now. Thank you." M'ka stumbled toward the exit after giving K'Nabu one last look.

"Chief Gora," K'Nabu said when M'ka was gone.

The Chief smiled. "You look well all things considered."

"I've had some good news."

The Chief put her hands behind her back. "I might have better news," she replied. "But before I share I would like to ask you something."

K'Nabu had had enough of the interrogation, but he managed to maintain composure. "Yes?"

"There was a glitch in the security systems at the Temples the night before your encounter with Professor D'Jo." Chief Gora watched K'Nabu as she talked, but his face did not change.

"What kind of glitch?" K'Nabu asked.

"I'm forbidden to share details," she explained, "But I was curious about whether you had any information about that."

K'Nabu shook his head. "I don't know much about the Temples, Chief Gora."

The Chief's lips spread into a smug smile. "I thought not," she said. She waved her kimoyo beads in the space between herself and K'Nabu. The nanites glowed bright white for a second and then disappeared.

"I'm being released?" K'Nabu said taking a step forward to test that the barrier was actually gone.

"Your accusations were correct," the Chief said. "Professor D'Jo - well, he's no longer a professor. He's in the custody of the Dora Milaje. He admits to nothing. And his nanites were disabled during the day of the explosion, so we couldn't track his exact movements, but we do know Ari was in the Third Quadrant dining hall ten minutes before the explosion. She didn't have enough time to move and place the vibranium."

"She keeps her license and she can get her qualifications?"

"Oh, yes," she replied pleased with K'Nabu's reaction to her news.

"And I'm still a student?"

"A student with honors," the Chief replied. "You've made an impressive mark on this institution in your short time here. And though I cannot approve of your methods, you are responsible for removing D'Jo from his position. We are grateful."

"Thank you, Chief Gora."

"Thank you, K'Nabu," the Chief said. "Your parents are waiting for you in the Commons." She handed K'Nabu his kimoyo beads. "Also I will be replacing D'Jo for the remainder of the school year. I expect you in class tomorrow."

"I will be there," K'Nabu said smiling.

Chief Gora took a step to the side so K'Nabu could pass her to the exit. "Walk, please," she called after him, but he was long gone.


	13. Ari Part 5

The minute Ari was given permission to go back on to school grounds, she headed straight to the remains of D'Jo's lab. She had to see the damage. According to everyone, she shouldn't have survived, and she thought, maybe if she saw the scene with her own eyes, the memories would come back.

She was wrong. She remembered seeing D'Miro, but she didn't remember what they'd discussed. She didn't even remember leaving the dining hall.

She stepped carefully through the debris as her kimoyo beads scanned the wreck for any equipment that might still have been alive. In the farthest corner, where the damage was greatest, she assessed the marks left by the explosion as if they were going to tell her the story of how she ended up in the Temples. All she came up with was that everyone was right. She should've died and the thought made her laugh. The past few years of her life had one focus. Now, after a near death experience, she had another. Even if she didn't make it to the palace, she was sure she would find some lab that let her work on figuring out how she'd survived a vibranium explosion.

She turned toward the opened doors at the sound of footsteps racing down the hall and into the lab. She glanced for a moment assuming it was Kazu, only to realize that Kazu wasn't that big. Before she focused, the huge body slammed into her sending her backwards, but she was saved by two long arms that pulled her into a secure hug.

Ari stood there until she realized that she burying her face deeper into K'Nabu's chest as his fingers found a way through her hair. It took her three full seconds to remember herself and push him away.

"Hello," he said. He was breathing heavily.

"Hello," she replied folding her arms across her chest.

He laughed. "And thank you, I assume."

Ari shook her head, trying to repress a grin. "For what, exactly, am I thanking you?"

"For being the best lab assistant you will ever have."

At that Ari had to laugh, because she knew it was the truth.

"And also for this." K'Nabu tapped a kimoyo bead.

Ari lifted hers and a video began to play. She heard her own voice come through full of terror, but all she could see was the glowing ball of vibranium.

"You sent this to me," K'Nabu explained as Ari searched his face for answers. "Watch it again."

His excitement was palpable, but even after the second time Ari had know idea what she was watching. K'Nabu would give her no hints and made her watch until a look of realization washed across her face.

He grabbed her shoulders to force her eyes on him. "You did it," he whispered.

Ari was ready to fall to her knees, but instead, she yelled at the top of her lungs.

K'Nabu stood by amused as she clumsily kicked and punched the air like a small child who'd just had their first defense lesson. Ari yelled again uninhibited by the reverberation of her own voice as it echoed through the entire hall.

Then she did fall to her knees and tears fell from her face as she watched the video one last time. It showed what months of simulations could not. It revealed the secret she had been trying to unlock for so long. She was looking at the solution to the Nunjari.

"I can't believe it's that simple," she mumbled as she felt the proverbial veil lift from her eyes. At the moment of combustion, the vibranium changed hue, only slightly, but it was enough to be sure that the direction of force had changed. Her simulations showed that the vibranium expanded all the way until an explosion was inevitable. Her video showed that just before the explosion, the vibranium collapsed, which meant its force field vectors reversed which meant all she had to do was reverse the polarity of the lasers just before combustion and the energy of the vibranium could be harnessed.

"A virtually infinite source of energy, Ari," K'Nabu said taking her hand. "You did it."

She searched for words, but all she could find in her daze was, "Thank you, K"Nabu." She looked at him to find his face was inches hers.

He smiled as he pulled her body closer. "I was just doing my job," he whispered.

Ari was overwhelmed and completely unable to maintain composure, but just before their lips could meet, "Hey!"

She jumped and turned to see a girl from the Panther tribe standing in the doorway.

"Keep it down," she said angrily. "Some of us are working down here."

"Sorry," Ari said. "We shouldn't be in here anyway."

She looked at K'Nabu who hadn't moved, but was clearly annoyed.

"I have to tell my parents the news and you'll probably want to do the same," Ari explained freeing herself from him. "I must go." She saved the video as evidence for what they'd accomplish.

K'Nabu started to say something. Ari shook her head and stepped away.

"We're emotional," she decided, as she made her way to the door.

"Maybe," K'Nabu replied only a few steps behind her. "But when you...when I thought you..."

Ari had never felt so her heart thump in her chest the way it was. Her body had never betrayed her that way. No matter what she endured she was always able to relax and clear her head. But in that moment she was ready to reject logic and give into - seriously? K'Nabu? The arrogant, first year who almost took her job?

 _Yes, that K'Nabu,_ she thought to herself. Everyone loved him for a reason. Then she remembered that everyone included Kazu.

"My sister thinks she is in love with you," she blurted out before he could say anything else. "And I will not betray her."

K'Nabu's scowl softened. She knew he cared about Kazu, maybe not the way Kazu wanted, but enough to make him stop.

"It is better this way," she continued. "I'll leave here soon and whatever this is," she waved her arm through the space between them, "will pass."

He shook his head. "It will not," K'Nabu said with so much certainty that Ari couldn't find the words to argue. His confidence never ceased to amaze and irritate her.

He walked past her into the hallway. "But I'll wait until you can see that yourself," he said going into the hall that led to the Third.

"We can still be friends," Ari called after him.

"We were never friends." His voice echoed through the corridor. The angry Panther girl yelled to demand silence once more.


	14. M'ka Part 3

Second years never attended opening ceremonies. First years were required. Fourth years showed up to support their classmate. Third years attended just in case they were the lucky person chosen to compete the next year, but second years usually didn't bothered. So when M'ka and K'Nabu finally made it to the Dome, he was vexed to find the auditorium completely packed. Not only were second years present, but professors, school staff, palace staff, a few priests and every person who lived within a hundred miles, filled the seats and any open space available to stand.

Princess Shuri would be attending Wakanda Tech's opening ceremony, after which she would make a speech. Nothing excited M'ka more than an opportunity to see a member of the royal family.

Of course, the speech itself was of little consequence. He had a pretty good idea of what she was going to say. Having spent his holiday with the son of the Chief of the Border Tribe, M'ka knew before most people that Shuri would be traveling to every tribe to oversee the installation of each Nunjari. Every tribe was to manage their own energy source and the palace decided to turn these installations into huge - and unnecessary, according to K'Nabu - events to mark the beginning of "Wakanda's new future".

M'ka had to admit it was big fuss over plugging in a fancy generator, but that didn't stop him from fighting the crowd and securing seats.

After what felt like hours, what M'ka was sure was the dullest Nanite Competition in history ended. The princess hadn't made her appearance yet, but everyone knew she was there because Dora Milaje were posted all over the Dome, two only a few feet from M'ka sat with K'Nabu.

The Head Professor gave his obligatory congratulations to the fourth year for winning the Nanite Competition, and then, finally, he began to introduce the princess. The auditorium erupted and everyone jumped their feet before he could even say the name.

Shuri descended from the professor's booth on her hover platform. Music played as she began to do perform the most popular dance of the summer. All of the students joined her enthusiastically while yelling the words the song. The professors and elders just watched as the brightest young minds in Wakanda made their wild moves to the crazy new music of the youth.

After the song ended and a few moments of exuberant chanting, Shuri finally settled on a position in the center of the Dome. She hovered just over the heads of the people in the front row.

Silence washed over the crowd instantly as the first words left her mouth. K'Nabu hit M'ka's shoulder to stop his excited fidgeting.

"My friends," she began, "I'm truly excited to be here. My brother never lets me come to these. He says I'm too foolish." She put air quotes around foolish. Elders laughed.

"Anyway, most of you probably already know why I'm here. Today marks a new beginning for Wakanda." She chuckled and looked down at the Dora Milaje closest to her. "Remember to tell my brother I said that."

Her guard remained unmoved as she continued. "We have a new, more efficient source of energy. A battery with almost infinite life. The power cell that will change the world." A hologram projection of a blue sphere mounted on top of a metal base appeared from Shuri's kimoyo beads. The aparatus stood about a foot taller than her and in it's center vibranium glowed and pulsated. "The Nunjari."

After some clapping and cheering, she explained that to function the Nunjari only needed enough energy to power the two lasers that kept it stable. Then it could be used to replace all other power sources for an entire tribe.

"The only limitations are the lasers, which are designed to last up to fifty years," she said to a stupefied audience. "I wanted to try for longer, but my brother and the Chiefs kept going on and on about safety and maintenance so we compromised."

More laughter as Shuri's platform began to ascend. "I also promised a friend of mine that I wouldn't do this, but she knows I was lying."

She pointed to a small group of people standing behind the professors. "I want to introduce the person who unlocked the secret of the Nunjari. Push her out here please."

A platform hovered near the booth, and before she was forced onto it, Kazu began yelling her sister's name from somewhere near the front row.

Had he not himself been so excited to come to this opening ceremony, M'ka might have noticed that his best friend was also uncharacteristically eager to attend. And had he been aware of this, he might have also notice that K'Nabu's eyes had been on the professor's booth since they'd arrived.

"Ari, daughter of Zamona!" Shuri yelled as Ari stumbled onto the platform. There was markedly less applause as she joined Shuri, but since Ari had only left Wakanda Tech a few weeks earlier, many of the students, her sister being the loudest, showed their support.

M'ka glanced at K'Nabu, who was completely focused on his old lab partner. Ari's appearance had improved since M'ka last saw her. She was in Merchant Tribe blue as always, but instead of the worn top and bottom set, she wore a dress with a gold overlay and gold sandals. No jewelry, which was normal for her, but unusual for a member of the Merchant Tribe, but today she wearing a less lavish version of their headdress.

"She looks well," M'ka said. K'Nabu ignored him.

Ari was clearly nervous as Shuri kicked her platform forward.

"Speak, Ari," Shuri said in much the same way Kazu might have done.

Ari looked over the crowd and found her sister immediately. They waved to each other.

"I remembering being you," Ari said to the first years. "And if you had told me then that I would be standing here now, I wouldn't have believed you. Not many people from my tribe even attend Wakanda Tech, let alone have the opportunity to work in the palace." Her eyes went over the rest of the crowd. "I haven't done anything special. With the support of the professors and classmates, anyone of you can take my job one day."

"She's not kidding," Shuri said. "I'm always looking to replace her."

More laughter during which Ari's eyes landed on K'Nabu. When the laughter subsided, Ari did not speak. She was still, her gaze firmly fixed on him. M'ka could see that K'Nabu was clearly pleased with her reaction to seeing him. He put his fist over his heart and then pointed to her.

"Ari." Shuri poked Ari gently on the shoulder and Ari almost stumbled off of her platform. The Dora Milaje were quick to rescue her as the crowd looked around to see Ari was staring at.

"Show them the schedule," Shuri said when Ari was once again planted on her feet.

"Yes." Ari nodded and cleared her throat. A list of dates next to a list of the five tribes appeared. "It takes one week to install the Nunjari safely," she explained. "This schedule shows when and where we will be and when to complete each installation. The schedule is available for anyone who wants join us and the tour."

"We're having party after in every tribe!" Shuri yelled. The crowd whooped again and Ari took the opportunity to escape back to the professor's booth.

Music started playing again as Shuri told everyone to come back to the Dome in one week to celebrate the Panther Tribe's Nunjari.

"The first official one!" she shouted. "Wakanda forever!"

Shuri said an official goodbye and was ushered out of the Dome before the crowd began to disperse.

* * *

"So," M'ka said when the princess was gone, "We and Ari will be in the Mining Tribe at the same time."

K'Nabu flashed him a mischievous grin before leading him down the stairs to the Dome's floor.

"I do not control the class schedule, my friend," he replied.

K'Nabu had somehow convinced M'ka to take a mining course - something he swore he would never do - that would require them to spend a month at a mining site in his home tribe.

"No, I suppose you do not," M'ka said. "And you absolutely did not choose to take this course after you found out where she would be."

"Are you suggesting I had secret information about the Shuri's travel plans before they became public? I could be arrested for that."

"I don't think that would stop you," M'ka said.

K'Nabu laughed, but M'ka was not amused. It was too late to get out of the course and now, not only did he have to go home, the only person that would make the trip bearable would be preoccupied with an anti-social lab rat.

K'Nabu turned to face M'ka. "Kazu is coming," he said. "Keep her here for five minutes."

"I will not."

"Please, M'ka." K'Nabu pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Ari is right there. I haven't seen her in months. Just five minutes."

Before M'ka could respond, K'Nabu backed away, silently pleading until he disappeared into the crowd.

Not even a millisecond later, M'ka heard Kazu calling his name.

"Has K'Nabu left already?" she asked.

M'ka shrugged and tried to position himself so that Kazu would be facing away from where K'Nabu had gone. "He's here somewhere."

"I thought you two might want to see Ari, before she disappears to work."

M'ka rolled his eyes. "Why would I want to see her?"

As the crowd cleared M'ka spotted Ari and K'Nabu standing near of the one of the exits. He couldn't hear what K'Nabu was saying, but Ari had her hand over her mouth, clearly trying to hide a smile. The more she resisted, the louder K'Nabu became until she burst out into laughter.

"M'ka!" Kazu snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Are you listening?"

"What?" M'ka replied. He watched K'Nabu offer Ari a hug. She hesitated, but not for long.

"I don't have time for this," Kazu said. She tapped a kimoyo bead. "Ari, where are you?"

Ari pulled herself away from K'Nabu and spoke into her beads. "I'm at the South Gate."

Kazu spotted her sister immediately. "Oh, good," she said, "K'Nabu is with her already. Come, M'ka."

After a year of dealing with her, M'ka was numb to Kazu's commands, and found it easier to just do what she wanted. But no matter how much Kazu tried to force it, M'ka knew he was never going to like Ari. A week in the Mining Tribe with her was going to be seven days too many.


	15. Ari Part 6

Ari carefully lifter the brick of vibranium from its carrier using a safety net formed from nanites. She'd done it so many times she forgot to pace herself for the comfort of the elders watching over her shoulder. Unstable vibranium was volatile. One wrong move and, well, she knew first hand what would happen. But that day every safety precaution had been taken and Ari relaxed into muscle memory.

"Slower, please!" someone yelled. Ari's mind was jolted back into the world and she exhaled from frustration. She looked a Shuri, who was suppressing a smirk. She understood all too well what it felt like to be slowed down for the benefit of others. She was the most brilliant member of the royal family and the youngest to ever run the lab. She didn't need Ari's help at all. Had she not been in the middle of trying protect Wakanda from the Killmonger she would have figured out the Nunjari long ago.

"Go on," she said authoritatively, but Ari knew it was only for show. Shuri didn't have it in her to command anyone. It was the main reason she worked in the palace lab alone for so long.

 _"That's why I like you,"_ Shuri had said to Ari one day. " _I don't have to tell you anything. Half the time you bring me answers I didn't even have questions for."_

Ari smiled at the memory as she guided the vibranium into place. All of those years of study at Wakanda Tech helped her earn something she never dared to want - the respect of Princess Shuri.

"Ready," Ari said.

She could hear a few the elders gasp as Shuri switched on the first laser.

"The first is on," she said.

Ari adjusted the vibranium so the laser beamed at the center of the brick. "Ready to release," Ari said.

"On three," Shuri replied.

This was Ari's favorite part, and, incidentally, the most dangerous part of the process. Ari had to disable her nanite net just before the laser beam hit the vibranium. If she moved to fast, the vibranium would destabilize too quickly and explode.

"One..."

If she moved too slowly, the nanites would contaminate the vibranium causing feedback into the laser and then the laser would explode.

"Two..."

But, when done correctly - and she had no choice but to do it correctly - she had a front row view to the brilliant lights that the Nunjari emitted the moment it was activated.

"Three!"

Ari disabled her nanites and the laser hit the vibranium in the perfect place. She smiled at the purple and gold display spilled out just before the magnetic sphere formed around it.

"Well done!" Shuri declared with her arms in the air.

The elders gave a grateful round of applause and congratulated Ari on her first Nunjari installation.

"Please note that this installation would have only taken one day if you would just let us do our jobs," Shuri said as she led of a procession of nations leaders out of the Panther Tribe's power distribution center.

"Don't stay too long, Ari," Shuri called back to her. "You are required to attend the festivities."

"Yes, Princess," Ari replied. "I'll be there."

A wooden box in the remotest corner of the Panther Tribe, the power distribution center had had only a few updates in the last century. The Nunjari was the first major overhaul since the invention magnetic power system. The less glamorous part of Ari's job was to disconnect the old systems so the Nunjari could take over. She didn't mind. It was one of the few times she was ever alone anymore and it gave her the opportunity to play around with old technology, which had been a hobby of hers when she was younger.

The building was small, about the size of one of the smaller lecture halls in Orisha. It housed three vibranium cells tall enough to touch the ceiling. Each one needing about three times the amount of vibranium of the Nunjari. One cell produced an eighth of the power of a Nunjari, and since the vibranium had to be stable, it had to be replaced up to twice a year.

Ari ran her fingers across the antiquated controls of the first cell. Physical buttons like those existed almost nowhere else in the country and Ari couldn't help but marvel at them. She entered the sequence to access the power cell's computer system. A monitor on the panel next to the buttons illuminated indicating that she had control. She sent the command to disable and stood back to watch the beast shut down.

The cell faded from white to purple before going dark. The loud thud indicated that the vibranium had been released. A recycling team would be in later to collect it.

"Hi!"

Ari smiled at the sound of her sister's voice. "What are you doing here?" she askws as Kazu entered.

"I saw the elders returning to the palace," she replied. "I thought I might find you here."

Kazu stopped in front of the Nunjari and looked it over. "Impressive."

"Giving you any ideas about maybe changing you decision?"

Kazu smirked and joined Ari at the controls of the second power cell. "I'm sorry, sister, but I will not be following _everything_ you do."

They laughed. The truth was Kazu and Ari had very little in common. Their entire family was stunned when Kazu decided to join Ari at Wakanda Tech. Everyone was sure she would be an actor or dancer, because performing was all she seemed to care about when they were young. No one knew she was even thinking of going to a technical field. And then, when she actually got in, Ari was nearly in tears.

But Kazu's goals turned out to be different than her own. She wanted to be a Medical Engineer. She didn't think it was fair that the priests should have all of the best healing methods. She wanted to improve medicine for everyone in Wakanda. Her desire was only confirmed when Ari ended up in the Temples after the vibranium explosion.

"And between you and Shuri, we don't need anyone else working with vibranium," Kazu added.

Ari shrugged. "You may be right."

The second power cell went dark and Ari moved to the last one. "So I have some time before I have to join Shuri at the Dome."

"And?" Kazu said as she fiddled with the buttons.

"Let's go to the lake." Ari was trying to find any excuse to be as late as possible to the obligatory gathering. When she dreamed of working at the palace she never imagined how much socializing it was going to require. Plus she and Kazu hadn't been swimming for fun since they were young.

"Excellent idea!" Kazu exclaimed. "I'll invite M'ka and..."

"No!" Ari knew what name she was going to say next. "Just us." She put her arm around Kazu's shoulders as the third cell shut down.

"Oh, Ari," Kazu said. "I thought you liked them by now."

"I do," Ari said trying to choose her words carefully. "But they may not like me. They might tolerate me because of you." It wouldn't have been the first time Kazu tried to force Ari onto her friends.

"Well, M'ka might not like you," Kazu said. Ari laughed at her bluntness. "But I would think you and K'Nabu were friends after what happened last school year."

Ari agreed. "We're friends, but only lab friends. We're not lake friends."

"And how does one become your 'lake friend', sister?"

Ari led Kazu out of the power distribution center and into the bright sunlight of late afternoon. "I have a number of criteria one must meet in order to have the honor of being my lake friend."

Kazu sighed. Ari would give any excuse to be alone.

* * *

The lakeside was more crowded than Ari would have wanted, but she and Kazu had fun regardless. The water was clear and deep due to the heavy rainy season they'd had. The earth was soft and rich. The sun, though still bright, was beginning to set, casting a beautiful golden hue across the surface of the water. Ari and Kazu decided they would come to the lake at least once a month until the rainy season began again.

"Come, let me plait your hair before it dries," Ari said when they'd ended their swim. She positioned herself on a rock and Kazu on the ground between her legs.

"Kazu," someone called through her kimoyo beads. "We're ready to go to Dome. Where are you?" Ari didn't recognize the voices, but when Kazu released their image from nanites they waved at Ari as if they'd known her for years.

"Hello," Ari said. They looked familiar, but she couldn't find the names.

"We'll be there later, girls," Kazu said. "We've been swimming."

"Swimming?" the girls said incredulously. "We're not waiting."

Kazu laughed. She knew very well that she was going to be at least an hour late. "I'll see you there," she told them.

"What should we tell K'Nabu if he asks about you?" one of them asked in a mocking tone. The blush in her sisters cheeks made Ari's stomach turn. She thought maybe by now Kazu would have dropped her crush, but clearly she hadn't.

Kazu made a few more jokes with her friends before ending the call.

Ari had thought a lot about K'Nabu over the past few months. She'd hoped not seeing him would kill any feelings she had, but that hope was squashed at the opening ceremony. She needed to be honest with Kazu, especially if Kazu still had hopes of her own.

"Perfect," Kazu said examining her hair. "We should hurry back though."

Ari took Kazu's hand before she could stand. "Wait. I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Ari took a deep breath. She searched for words, but could find any that wouldn't break her sister's heart.

"Ari, what's wrong? You look so serious."

She couldn't do it. She couldn't dim the sparkle in those eyes. "Those are the best plaits I've ever seen."

Kazu laughed and punched Ari on the shoulder. "Don't be silly. Mother is far better at this than you." She stood and pulled Ari to her feet. "Now stop procrastinating and let's go!"


	16. K'Nabu Part 7

K'Nabu was ready to get to the Mining Tribe. Yes, it was going to be amazing to be in the same place with Ari for seven days without worrying about whether or not Kazu would pop up. And honestly that was the reason he signed up for the course in the first place. But after being in school for a few weeks, his brain hungered for a challenge.

The red mountain was finally in view as the Light Rail turned into the Mining Tribe's station. M'ka groaned in the seat next to him, but K'Nabu's mood would not be affected. The next day he would be in a mining site. In a week Ari would be arriving. His sister had been assigned as Shuri's guard during her trip to the Mining Tribe. It was going to be a good month.

K'Nabu hopped off of the train and M'ka trudged reluctantly behind. The air was thin and dry, drier than home, K'Nabu noticed and he felt his heart working a little harder than usual. That didn't stop him from running out of the train station to meet his group leader.

"Yes, Mother," M'ka said. K'Nabu looked back at his friend receiving orders from his mother. There was a tiny part of him that regretted talking M'ka into joining him at the Mining Tribe.

"Yes, Mother," he said again.

K'Nabu never really understood why M'ka hated home so much, but he could see that his personality had almost completely changed.

"Hurry, M'ka," K'Nabu said impatiently.

His shoulders were slouched. His head lowered when his mother spoke to him.

"Goodbye, my son," M'ka's mother said.

Confident and genial in school. Diffident and spiritless at home.

"Goodbye, Mother," M'ka replied before her image collapsed into his beads. He looked at K'Nabu. "I will kill you for this."

K'Nabu patted him on the back, but offered no words of comfort. He knew there were none.

People moved slower in the Mining Tribe. In the Panther Tribe, there was always an urgency in the way people walked. In the Border Tribe, there was always competition and no one wanted to be the slowest. K'Nabu found the change in pace irritating. Twice he almost ran into people younger than him, who were exiting a lift or opening a door.

"They should be here," K'Nabu said looking around the courtyard of the station.

"We're early," M'ka said taking a seat near on a bench. "Calm down."

"Maybe we could..."

"M'ka? K'Nabu?"

K'Nabu turned to a man about his height wearing Panther Tribe robes. He crossed his arms at his chest. "Welcome to the Mining Tribe."

M'ka stood so he and K'Nabu could return the greeting.

"I am D'Miro," the man said as he broke the X. "I'll be you leader this month."

"Excellent," K'Nabu said. "Shall we go?"

D'Miro shook his head and tapped a kimoyo bead. "I believe you two are the first to arrive. I'm waiting for eight more."

K'Nabu's nostrils flared. He didn't like waiting for things in general, but that day the virtue of patience was nowhere to be found.

"We could get started," K'Nabu said, "We know where our quarters. We could meet you there later."

D'Miro laughed. "Professor Lera warned me about you." He tapped a kimoyo bead and released a screen. "You can get a head start then. I just sent you the outline for class tomorrow. We meet at the quarters at dinner."

"Thank you," K'Nabu said relieved. "Come, M'ka."

M'ka returned to his seat. "You made me come here, but I will not be rushed."

"You'd rather sit here then explore?"

M'ka shrugged. "This is home for me, remember? There's nothing left to explore."

K'Nabu considered staying. He knew he was being insensitive. He also knew that M'ka was going to irritate him with his gloomy mood. They were no good for each other at the moment.

"I'll see you at dinner then," K'Nabu said.

He would have to figure out why M'ka was behaving the way he was at some point, but that day K'Nabu was blind with excitement.

* * *

K'Nabu vaguely remembered D'Miro. He was weapons student in his fourth year when K'Nabu started at Wakanda Tech. From what he remembered he had promising career waiting for upon receiving his qualifications, so K'Nabu thought it was odd that he was leading a mining course. He was sure a weapons expert would have no more vibranium knowledge than he did. However, with in twenty minutes of their first meeting, K'Nabu realized he was wrong.

D'Miro was originally on track to become a vibranium expert, but was persuaded by professors to change his focus because he had a knack for weapons development. He stayed to true to that focus until he saw the damage vibranium could really do after the explosion in Phakathi. Upon receiving his qualifications D'Miro told himself that he would only use vibranium to build not destroy.

K'Nabu found this admirable. It was difficult to change a path so late in one's studies. The fact that D'Miro was able to do so and earn a position working for Wakanda Tech meant that he was more than capable of helping K'Nabu learn something new.

After quick examination to evaluate everyone's skill level, D'Miro determined that the class was ready for their first supervised trip to the mountain on their second day of class. They met at a vehicle hub at edge of the desert. There, they each student would take a sand car to the mountain and there D'Miro would give them a tour of a mining site.

"But we have to drive _these_?" K'Nabu asked staring at the four-wheeled vehicles covered in red dust. They were ancient. And was it even legal to drive a vehicle that didn't have hovering capabilities.

M'ka found K'Nabu's reaction hilarious. K'Nabu ran head first into everything and nothing ever stopped him. Now wheels of all things were an impedance.

"Spoiled panthers," M'ka said looking over his classmates. He'd been driving sand cars for as long as he could remember. Hover vehicles were fine as long as the earth beneath them was solid. But when it came to sand, nothing beat wheels.

"I am no panther," K'Nabu protested.

"You look like one today."

K'Nabu was annoyed, but M'ka had a smile on his face for the first time since they'd arrived.

"You realize I can out-drive you no matter what," K'Nabu said as he mounted a vehicle.

D'Miro gave directions to the mountain and then permission to take off whenever they were ready.

M'ka winked at K'Nabu before being the first one out of the garage. K'Nabu took off after him without a thought.

Because there was no physical friction between the ground and a hover vehicle, the driver only had to contend with wind force while steering. Being able to choose the optimal path based on wind was what K'Nabu was good at. Trying to apply that same principle to a sand car did not work the way he'd hoped.

There was no way to operate the sand car gracefully. Brute force seemed to be the only option and he had steer according to the sand. Going left didn't necessarily mean turning left. If the sand demand that the car went right, he had to compensate with the correct arm and body movements to regain control. Plus the more he struggled, the more sand he kicked up around him and there were a couple of times he ended going the wrong direction because he couldn't see in front of him.

By the time K'Nabu had figured out any of this, he could see M'ka and D'Miro were too far ahead for him to catch up. And a couple of his classmates had already passed him. K'Nabu cursed in frustration.

M'ka was doubled over with laughter as K'Nabu clumsily parked his car at the base of the mountain.

"Did you hurt yourself?" M'ka said when K'Nabu was finally able to join him at the site's entrance gate.

K'Nabu pressed his lips together. He had no comebacks this time. He knew his performance was abysmal. And he was glad to see his friend happy, even if it was at his own expense.

"Could we just start please?" he asked D'Miro, who too seemed amused by the way K'Nabu had driven in.

Two more students were behind. They were slower, but they seemed to have control than K'Nabu.

When the entire group was gathered, D'Miro led them into reception where they put on protective - just a helmet with a thin lining of vibranium since they wouldn't actually be handling raw materials that day.

"This is just an informational tour," D'Miro explained. "I know some of you feel like you are experts, but as far as I know only one of you has actually been inside of the mountain. No matter how much you know about vibranium you are not ready to mine." His eyes were on K'Nabu as he spoke.

K'Nabu nodded indicating that he understood who was the student and who was the teacher. D'Miro accepted the response.

"Well, then," D'Miro said after signalling the guard to let them through, "Welcome to what many call the birth place of Wakanda."

M'ka rolled his eyes.


	17. Ari Part 7

It was a beautiful, sunny day in the deserts of Wakanda when Ari arrived to the Mining Tribe with her assigned guard from the Dora Milaje. There were only the two of them since Shuri and many of the elders had been called to the palace for urgent business. Shuri wouldn't tell her exactly what that meant, but she'd given her permission to find any qualified person to help her with the last Nunjari installation.

"And if I hear that you canceled the festivities, I'll fire you immediately," Shuri said before she was whisked away. She'd been smiling, but Ari knew she was serious. Every tribe had had their Nunjari celebration. It wouldn't have been fair to cancel the one in the Mining Tribe, even if it was Ari's immediate first thought after she found out Shuri wouldn't be joining her.

"We've arrived," her guard announced as the door to their vehicle slid open. They stepped out onto the ground of the Chief's home where Ari expected to meet him and his wife, but was instead received by a brilliantly dressed woman and a man who Ari later learned was the woman's assistant.

"Welcome to the Mining Tribe," the woman said crossing her arms. "I am Marana, Daughter of Mo, Leader of Isinyithi."

Ari crossed her arms and introduced herself as nobly as she could, but she couldn't help being intimidated by Marana's thick braids and glorious red dress.

"I apologize that the Princess could not join me today," Ari said after they'd finished their greeting.

"I must do the same for our Chief. He, too, was called to the palace just this morning."

The Mining Chief's residence was a single rectangular building made from white stone, but years of dust storms had stained it a dull orange. A grand staircase led to a vibranium gate that opened as Ari and Marana approached it. They walked through a windowless tunnel lit by torches towards an end Ari could not yet see.

"Is this your first time in the Mining Tribe," Marana asked Ari once the front gate had closed behind them.

"No," Ari replied. "I studied here a few years ago."

"Ah," Marana said. "Yes, many students from Wakanda Tech spend some time in the Mining Tribe. I always say your vibranium education cannot be complete without a trip to the mountain."

Something about the way Marana had said that made Ari realize what Isinyithi was. Marana oversaw the mining of the majority of the countries vibranium. This wasn't the first time Ari had been unaware of someone's status upon introduction since she'd been working for Shuri. But no matter how many times it happened, she was never prepared.

A large door came into view as they entered an indoor courtyard. The ceiling was twice as high as the tunnel's and three round windows sat equidistant just above Ari's eye level.

Marana's assistant unlocked the inner door and the four of them passed through into what felt like another courtyard lit by glowing vibranium.

"I confess I haven't had time to review schedule thoroughly, but I was told that you would be with us for one week."

Ari nodded. "That's correct."

"And you will begin work tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Very good." Marana smiled and turned to her assistant. "Javin, please show our guests where they will be staying. And I will see you all at dinner.

"Thank you," Ari said.

"Wakanda forever, my dear."

* * *

Ari spent the rest of her morning and some of the afternoon in the Mining Tribe's power distribution center. It was almost identical to the four she'd already been in, but that didn't stop her from reviewing the controls and procedures. She had time and couldn't come up with another way to fill it.

Free time was difficult for Ari to deal with after she left Wakanda Tech. Technically, her last few months in D'Jo's lab were loaded with "free" time. That time, however, was torturous and weighed down by seemingly unattainable goals and broken dreams. Now that her time outside of actual work was truly free she realized she really didn't know how to operate in the real world. Even a little thing like going to the lake with her sister was a grand occasion.

Ari had gone over the schedule for the next week for the third time and before she started her fourth, she realized by this time Shuri would have pulled her outside and forced her to explore the tribe.

She had lived in the Mining Tribe a few years earlier and the Mining Tribe wasn't exactly known for their enthusiasm for change and innovation. She figured there wouldn't be anything new for her to do. Still, one could only review something so many times before the brain stopped retaining information, especially if the information had already been imprinted.

She looked over to the entrance to see her guard had not moved since they'd been there. Ari didn't like having a Dora Milaje follow her around. She felt too unimportant to waste the time of one Wakanda's elite protectors. But it was required, because she worked directly with a member of the royal family. She never protested.

"Uzo," she said joining her at the door. "I think I'm going to go for a walk?" Ari didn't know why that had come out like a question. "Would that be okay?"

She gave Ari the look of someone who tired of being asked the same question over and over again. "I'm merely your guard. You do not need permission to do anything."

"Right. I keep forgetting." Ari was used to Shuri being around and hadn't yet figured out all of the rules.

As expected, nothing much had changed. Where there would be elaborate sky scrappers or busy shopping centers or gaming facilities in other tribes, the Mining Tribe maintained the essence of old Wakanda. The dusty, red streets were quiet and people moved as if they had nowhere to go. Ari walked past row after row of small wooden buildings and homes. People smiled and waved as she went. She was sure this was because Uzo was close behind.

Ari stopped at the tribe's center. She chose to climb on to a stone that was about her height and sit facing the Great Green Tree that marked the exact place vibranium was first discovered. Uzo stood dutifully nearby.

Vegetation was scarce in the desert and one of the few plants that did grow was a leafless tree with a vibrant green trunk and branches that started green at the base and faded to yellow at the tips. At its largest, this tree was still smaller than saplings she'd seen in the River Tribe or her home tribe. But there was nothing like it anywhere else in Wakanda. Against the odds, it found a way to thrive with little water and sweltering temperatures.

Ari visited that tree many times when she'd lived there.

"Hello."

She peered over the edge of her perch and saw a familiar face looking up at her.

"D'Miro?" she said. He was shading his eyes from sun, so she was unable to see his entire face.

He smiled. His teeth were brilliant. "It is me," he said.

His was the last face she saw before the explosion in D'Jo's lab, and yet, she hadn't talked to him since.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"May I join you?"

Ari told him he could and made room as he climbed up to take a seat next to her.

"It's nice to see you," she said. "But what are you doing in the Mining Tribe?"

He laughed. "You make it sound as if it is ridiculous that I am here."

"Because it is," Ari replied. "I thought you would be developing on the world's most efficient new weapon with the panthers or the Border Tribe even."

"Well, that was the plan." He leaned back on his hands. "But things changed. So I took a position leading a mining course for Wakanda Tech, just until I figure out what's next."

Ari was stunned. People rarely worked outside of their chosen focus. "What could have possibly changed your mind that drastically?"

He thought for moment before saying, "I saw the true destructive power of vibranium." He looked at her so she understood that he was talking about what had happened to her a few months earlier. "Then I decided that if I was going to use it, I would to use to create, not to destroy."

Ari never thought D'Miro ever really had the spirit to be a weapons maker. But in there first year, he was so sure that was his path that Ari didn't question it.

"I'm glad," she told him. "You'd be great at anything you did, but your energy is better spent on something more positive."

He looked at her from the side of his eye. "So you haven't changed."

She shook her head. "I don't like weapons. I never will. They have no place in this world."

"I agree they have no place in _our_ world," he replied stretching his arm out to nothing in particular. "But it's a disaster out there."

Ari groaned, irritated that she couldn't argue with that logic.

"Anyway," she said pushing his arm down, "How are you enjoying your new position?"

He shrugged. "Fine. I have some really intelligent students. A couple of them might know more than I do. I'd much rather hear how you're doing though."

"Great," Ari said and she smiled, because it was the truth. "I've been very lucky."

He shook his head. "You've earned everything you have, Ari. No one deserves your life more than you."

D'Miro was a good person, one of the best people. Ari promised herself to never take their friendship for granted again.

Then he sat up and tapped a kimoyo bead to release a nanite screen. "What is your schedule tomorrow?"

Ari showed the bits of her schedule she was allowed to share. "The first day is usually the easiest," she said. "I'm available most of the afternoon. Why?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't come." He winked at her and hopped into the sand. "I sent you the time in the place."

"Wait!" Ari called after him, but we was already walking away and she knew he was going to respond.


	18. M'ka Part 4

M'ka stood awkwardly at edge of the dance floor in his mother's front yard. It had been over a year since he had to attend a business affair and he felt like that nervous little kid he'd spent so much time trying to shed.

His mother stood at the opposite end of the floor in deep conversation with a few of her company's elders. In a few moments she would summon him. He would be poked and prodded by people he'd grown up knowing, because he broke tradition and chose to study in the Panther Tribe. He would try to defend himself, but no one would listen, because no ever listened to him. And then he would be dismissed back into his corner where he would wait like the diligent son should he should be until he was needed again.

He didn't understand why it had to be this way. In school, he would be commanding the dance floor or leading a debate or starting a fight even. Home, he just stood quietly until someone told him he was allowed to live. He didn't even have the guts to ask if he could invite his friends. So he had no choice but to suffer alone.

"Everyone," Javin called at the top his lungs. He hadn't changed a bit as dedicated and loud as ever. "Marana requires your attention."

M'ka watched his mother take a position in the center of the yard where most people could see her.

"Dear friends," she said with her hand over heart. "I do have some news. As many of you know, the Chief was called to the palace and won't be able to join us." Marana allowed a moment for the party to express their disappointment. "Unfortunately, this also means the Princess will not be with us today and will likely not be able to attend the Nunjari installation." More disappointment. "She had promised to come as soon as she is available, but our Nunjari will be installed this week."

There was polite applause as Marana stretched out her hand for some in front of her. "The Princess has left us in the very capable hands of Ari, Daughter of Zamona, who has ensured me that everything will run as smoothly as ever."

M'ka was prepared for the usual feeling of disdain when he saw her, but instead was met with empathy. She was clearly _trying_ to stand with authority. Her posture was correct. Her clothes were correct. But her eyes kept darting to the ground every time they met someone's face. She tugged nervously at her sleeves when she talked and she bit her lip whenever someone spoke to her. M'ka wanted to rejoice in seeing her fail this way, but he could only feel sorry for her.

After her introduction, Marana led Ari around the yard to talk with every person in attendance. Around the sixth person, M'ka was sure she would pass out from exhaustion, but she persevered and he eventually found himself face to face with her.

"We've met," he told his mother before she could introduce them.

"Yes. He is my sister's friend." Ari smiled and it seemed genuine even if the conversation was an obligation. "It's nice to see you, M'ka."

"You too."

"Marana." Javin was quickly at Marana's side. He spoke into her ear and covered his mouth as he did.

Marana smiled at M'ka. "You'll entertain our guest, won't you, my son?"

"Yes, Mother," he replied.

For several minutes they stood in silence. Yes, they'd met, but they didn't talk. M'ka had made sure of this.

"I didn't know you were from the Mining Tribe," she said when the song changed. "And heir to Insinyithi."

M'ka nodded. "Now you know."

"What brings you home?"

He didn't reply.

Another song passed and he was about to make up his mind to leave her when he caught her dancing out of the corner of his eye. M'ka couldn't help but watch.

"Is something wrong?" she asked seemingly unaware of what she was doing.

He stopped himself from laughing. "I never imagined someone like you could dance."

"Someone like me?" she said after a spin. "Someone from the Merchant Tribe with cousins in the River Tribe?"

He did laugh at that. Kazu had also cited her connection the River Tribe to explain her ability to dance - as if being from a particular tribe dictated whether or not someone could dance.

"I just meant," he said. Okay, she was really good. He had to join her. "I just meant you don't seem like you would be interested."

She shrugged. "I could see why you would think that."

Marana returned before the song ended and M'ka was actually disappointed. He'd almost forgotten where he was.

"Ari, come meet our Chief's aid. He's just arrived."

Ari looked at M'ka and then at Marana. "Could I have one more minute? I was just about to ask M'ka a question."

Marana looked shocked - as if M'ka couldn't possibly have had an answer. But she allowed Ari to stay and only when she was gone did Ari speak.

"Have I ever done anything offend you?" she asked him and it caught him off guard.

He stuttered over a reply, and realized the answer was no. She hadn't done anything. There was a time he thought she was treating K'Nabu poorly. When that time ended for some reason M'ka couldn't shake his negative feelings towards her.

He took a deep breath before shaking his head. "I think," he said slowly, "I may have had the wrong idea about you."

Ari nodded. "My sister is fond of you," she said. "We don't have to be friends, but I hope to at least be able to earn your respect."

She crossed her arms. He crossed his automatically.

If someone would have told him yesterday he would be doing this, he would have punched them in the face.

She broke the X first.

"Goodbye, M'ka," she said before going to search for Marana.

* * *

M'ka wasn't surprised to find K'Nabu sitting at his desk when he returned to the dorm they shared.

"How was it," he asked without looking up at him.

He considered telling him he'd seen Ari, but decided he didn't want to spend the night talking about her. K'Nabu would find her eventually.

"It went well," M'ka replied. He'd managed to hold his ground during a conversation with one Isinyithi elders. He thought he might've even impressed his mother.

"Did you die?" K'Nabu asked. He still wouldn't look at him, but he grinned at his own joke. M'ka had spent the entire week complaining about having to spend time at his mother's house and that it was K'Nabu's fault. He swore to kill him at a thousand time.

"You're the funniest person in the world, my friend."

M'ka hopped onto his bed and looked at the ceiling. Being home wasn't tearing his insides out the way he'd expected. A memory of being in the Temples with Kazu reminded him of the last time he'd considered returning home.

"M'ka."

He lifted his to find K'Nabu was finally looking at him.

"I know you're only here, because of me," he said. "And I am sorry I didn't consider your feelings."

"I'm not forgiving you," M'ka replied. "But I'm not mad. This is the easiest course I've ever taken. I haven't been able to relax this much in a year."

K'Nabu threw a shoe at him. "Easy or not, you still have finish your assignments."

"Eh," M'ka rolled himself in his blanket. "I'll finish it in the morning."


	19. Ari & K'Nabu Part 8

"They're beginning evacuation procedures," Hanam said. She sounded calm, but the nanites were doing nothing to hide the worry in her face.

"Do you know why?" K'Nabu asked his sister. He was in his dorm alone. M'ka had already left to eat.

"Okoye does, I'm sure," Hanam replied. "But the information must be sensitive, because no one outside of the Throne Room knows any details."

"Have you had a chance the see our parents yet?"

She pressed her lips together and shook her head.

K'Nabu sighed. The last time the Panther Tribe was evacuated T'Challa had almost lost his throne to that American psychopath. "I'm worried," he finally said.

"I understand. Just know that you are in the safest place you could be if something should go wrong."

"But you are not," K'Nabu replied. "And neither are Mother, Father, K'Mado, or..."

"We'll be fine." Her head turned to look at something K'Nabu couldn't see. "We're the best warriors in Wakanda." Her eyes returned to her brother. "Now I must go."

"Goodbye, Hanam."

After convincing himself that sitting in his dorm wasn't going to help his family in what could be another disastrous crisis, K'Nabu went to his find friend, so they could go together to class.

The morning was eerily calm. It just felt wrong for everything to be so normal when something dangerous was about to happen in Wakanda. And even though his sister tried to talk him down, he was worried his family wouldn't make it out unharmed this time. K'Nabu's family stayed out of the battle against Killmonger. Many members of the Border Tribe chose to fight against T'Challa and K'Nabu's parents refused to do it. Now that the Border Tribe was once again united with the rest of Wakanda, K'Nabu knew his entire family would run straight onto a battle field if the time should come.

"There is no way there will be another war in Wakanda," M'ka told him. "The only reason there was one in the first place was because Killmonger had a birthright to fight for the Throne."

"Anyone can fight for the Throne," K'Nabu reminded him. "And T'Challa is fair. He will accept any challenge."

M'ka was unconvinced and K'Nabu didn't bother to argue. He had no idea what was actually happening at the palace and it was possible that M'ka was right. But it was also true that evacuations didn't happen for no reason.

They were last to arrive at the sand car garage. It was the first day they were actually put everything they learned to practice and mine some vibranium. They would be in safest part of the mountain handling stable vibranium, so very little could go wrong, but many of K'Nabu's peers seemed nervous, which he didn't fully understand. He'd been ready for that day since leaving the city for the Mining Tribe.

"Alright, we're all here," D'Miro said as they entered, "Pick your vehicle and let's move."

M'ka was off and it still annoyed K'Nabu how good he was at handling a sand car. More so, because even after a week of operating one, K'Nabu was still one of the worst drivers in his class.

Once they were at the mountain and fitted with protective gear, D'Miro reviewed what was expected of them and then he led them through the gate down a tunnel and into the first mining cave of the vibranium mountain.

K'Nabu didn't care much about history so he wasn't paying attention while D'Miro talked about the first miners and the original tools and the old safety procedures. All he wanted to do was pick up a fire axe and drive it into the wall of the cave.

There were, K'Nabu knew, more efficient ways to mine that didn't involve manual labor, but students had to start from the beginning. And the sooner he started, the sooner he could get to more exciting things.

The fire axe was a derivative of one of the oldest mining tools and was still the safest way to extract vibranium from the mountain. It was made from a vibranium and steel alloy that could easily penetrate the rocky walls. Then with the help of a few nanites that were programmed to interact with the vibranium in the tool's head, the axe would free raw vibranium from the mountain. The quality and weight of the vibranium depended on how well the nanites were programmed.

"Your challenge is to produce the heaviest, highest quality piece of vibranium using the nanites you should have programmed yesterday," D'Miro said as he handed each student a fire axe.

He ended with K'Nabu and M'ka and waited until the rest of the class had started before placing an axe in M'ka's hand. "Don't embarrass them too badly," D'Miro said to them. He handed an axe to K'Nabu. "Actually, don't embarrass me."

D'Miro took a lift down to the processing facility, which housed the machinery required to analyze raw vibranium. K'Nabu watched him through the glass walls as he positioned himself to watch his students.

"Loser cooks tonight," M'ka told K'Nabu before leaving him with the rest of the class.

"Done," K'Nabu called after him. This made his challenge more interesting. M'ka had the cooking skills of a god.

Most of the students chose a smooth place to make it easy to get the axe through the wall. K'Nabu walked over to the rockiest wall and laid down flat on his stomach. He looked around and found M'ka on the other side of the cave in a similar position. Vibranium bricks became dense the further under the mountain they were. That was why most of the mining for stable vibranium happened under ground.

K'Nabu pressed the axe in as slowly as he could so he would disturb as little of the rock as possible. Then he released his nanites. After two minutes he heard a large thud beneath him indicating that his vibranium had hit the belt and was on its way to processing facility.

M'ka was already on his feet when K'Nabu was finished. The other students were either just getting their axe into the wall or were fiddling with their nanites.

"Shall I tell you who won?" D'Miro's voice came through K'Nabu's kimoyo beads. He looked over at M'ka who'd received the same message.

"Not everyone has finished," K'Nabu said.

"True." D'Miro laughed. "But shall I tell you who won?"

"Yes!" M'ka replied quickly.

* * *

Ari did not like sand cars and considered walking to meet D'Miro at the mountain, but she was already later than she said she'd be.

Only one vehicle was there when she arrived and she thought that was strange, but she didn't think about it for too long. In moments she was traversing the vast dry lands.

In minutes she could see the entrance come into view over the mounds of sand. Ari knew the door was massive, but they looked like a tiny black speck against the red mountain. As she approached she saw a dozen or so sand cars parked at the base of the mountain. This too was strange. Miners rarely used the above ground entrance. And if they did they would park their sand cars in designated areas inside the mountain.

And that was when Ari realized why she was meeting D'Miro.

The door swiveled counter clockwise and D'Miro, in all black as usual, walked through almost as soon as Ari dismounted.

"You could have just told me what you wanted," she said when he was close enough to hear.

"I didn't trust you to come."

Ari didn't argue. She wouldn't have trusted herself either.

"Where are they?" she asked him.

"They're changing," D'Miro replied. "They should be out here shortly."

"And what do you want me to say to them?"

D'Miro shrugged and refused to respond. He only laughed when Ari begged him to give her information. She could perform better if she had a plan.

"These aren't elders," D'Miro said. "They're students. Just be yourself."

Ari had run out of time to protest because the giant door swiveled again and the mountain seemed to spit out ten eager-faced humans, who only became more wide-eyed when they saw D'Miro's guest. Being recognized was something Ari was never going to get used to.

Among these happy young learners was a face that Ari was both excited and anxious to see. Honestly, she couldn't believe she was seeing him. What were the chances? At the same time, she was kicking herself for not putting the pieces together the night before. She knew his best friend was in the Mining Tribe and they were rarely apart.

He hadn't seen her yet. She had time to hop right back on the sand car before she made a fool of herself, but she was frozen in place. He was covered in red dust. His clothes hung sloppily from the days work. And he was beautiful.

"Everyone," D'Miro called. His students gathered around and only then did K'Nabu see Ari. He smiled with no hesitation, but was clearly as shocked to see her as she was to see him.

"We all know who this is," D'Miro told them. "The most famous engineer in Wakanda today."

"After Shuri," Ari added. She hardly realized she spoke until a few of the students chuckled at her joke. Then reality swirled around her. She'd been staring at K'Nabu the entire time. She averted her eyes as quickly as she could but she knew she was too late.

"After Shuri, of course," D'Miro agreed.

"I heard Shuri isn't here," a girl standing in front of M'ka said. Ari couldn't identify her tribe from her clothes, but as soon as she spoke she knew was from the Panther Tribe.

Ari shook her head. "She unfortunately had business at the palace."

"What kind of business," K'Nabu asked.

"I'm not sure."

"How will you install the Nunjari without her?" the Panther Tribe girl asked.

Ari had been answering these same questions since she arrived to the Mining Tribe and up until then she had no trouble answering. But this time, after she told them that she was to choose and train an engineer to help with the installation the next day, she was bombarded with offers to be her assistant.

K'Nabu found this hilarious. He stood next to M'ka shamelessly laughing at her, but he did not once offer his help.

D'Miro had to step in to regain control of the group.

"I'm sorry," Ari said when they'd calmed down. "The engineer has to have their qualifications for safety reasons."

"You didn't have your qualifications when you developed it," that same girl fired back. She was starting to irritate Ari. "And neither did the _first_ year who helped you."

"That first year was brilliant, Milo," K'Nabu said to the girl. "Absolutely irreplaceable."

Ari felt her stomach do a flip.

"How would you know?" Milo asked looking back at him. She didn't wait for a response and turned back to Ari. "I earned a spot in the Third Quadrant this year and I think..."

"Okay," D'Miro said. He put his hand up to stop her. "When you're a student, you are protected by your institution should something go wrong during your studies. After you earn your qualifications, you're protected by whatever agency you work under. That agency makes their own safety assessments and sets their rules accordingly. In Ari's case, her agency is T'Challa, the Chiefs, and our elders. Are we really going argue over the rules they set?"

Milo was unhappy, but did not respond.

"So," he said after deep breath that made Ari believe that Milo never made things easy for him, "We have just mined our first bricks."

"Congratulations," Ari replied. She tried to smile but she was still recovering.

There was silence for a moment during which Ari realized that D'Miro was looking at her. What else was she supposed to say?

"Oh," she said remembering the unofficial tradition set by Wakanda Tech mining students decades earlier. "You're all ready to search for stardust."

"Show them," D'Miro said gesturing to Ari's kimoyo beads.

Ari lifted her wrist and turned her arm so her palm faced up. She took a step closer to the group to make sure everyone could see. She tapped a kimoyo bead and it disintegrated, revealing a golden jagged rock.

"What is it?" one of the students asked.

"Stardust," D'Miro began after Ari tapped the stone and a false kimoyo bead engulfed it. "This is supposedly vibranium's oldest form, left here by guardians of the mountain thousands of years ago. It can only be found in one place at the base of the mountain and if, you're lucky enough to find one, then your ancestors have blessed you."

There were mixed reactions. Some students seemed excited. Some seemed annoyed. Some didn't seem to care either way. Everyone in Wakanda received tradition differently. For some it was a spiritual necessity. For others it was just lore that didn't deserve energy.

Ari fell somewhere in the middle. While she respected tradition, she believed that only science had weight in reality.

D'Miro led the group around the base of the mountain on foot, leading them to the side of the mountain over which the sun had already passed. Ari enjoyed the relief of the shade, as they arrived to the crevasse Ari remembered her as the place course leader had once taken her. She showed the students where she'd found her stardust and then she took a seat in the sand to watch. Most of them did begin there search, but some, including K'Nabu and M'ka chose to sit as well.

K'Nabu was far enough away that she couldn't hear what he was talking about. She was alarmed by how much she missed him, but was grateful she didn't have to confront those feelings in front other people.

"So," D'Miro said taking a seat next to her. "How long have you and K'Nabu been..."

"We're just friends." Ari bit her lip immediately. She knew she'd given herself away.

D'Miro smirked. "I didn't finish the question."

Ari stuttered over a reply, but D'Miro stopped her.

"Don't embarrass yourself further," he said and he laughed when her head dropped into her hands. "You're clearly not friends."

"You don't know anything," Ari replied and she knew it was weak.

"I do," D'Miro said. "You never looked at me that way."

Ari felt like he'd knocked the wind out of her.

"I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable..."

"Then you're failing..."

"You were just the only person to never try anything with me. And I always wondered what it was you were looking for because I'm perfect."

Ari laughed in spite of herself. D'Miro wasn't lying. It didn't make sense that she never had feelings for him.

He looked over at K'Nabu and back to her. "Apparently messy hair and Border Tribe scars."

Ari took a deep breath. "You're an engineer with qualifications," she said quickly. "Would you like to help me install the Mining Tribe's Nunjari?"

D'Miro's eyes narrowed. "Impressive deflection technique," he replied. "I would be honored."

"I found one!"

Ari looked up to see Milo jumping up and down, the tiny golden rock glittering in her hand above her head.


	20. K'Nabu Part 9

"I want five leaf stew with meat," M'ka told K'Nabu as they pulled into the sand car garage. "Do you think you can handle that?"

K'Nabu eyed him as if he was being daft, but truthfully he wasn't sure. Five leaf stew took hours to cook and was difficult to perfect.

"We'll go the market right now and then..."

K'Nabu stopped listening as Ari parked her sand car next to his.

She was purposely avoiding eye contact, but K'Nabu couldn't resist anymore. He'd given her enough time to deal with whatever anxiety he knew she was having about seeing him.

His hand was centimeters from her shoulder when D'Miro called her name. She moved out of reach and K'Nabu almost fell forward in the attempt to pull his arm back before anyone noticed. He could hear M'ka's cackling behind him, so he whipped to around to smack him in the head. M'ka dodged and this time K'Nabu did fall right over his sand car and onto the floor. Now everyone was laughing.

K'Nabu was not used to be being embarrassed that way and wanted to sink into the floor.

"Smooth, my friend," M'ka said holding out his hand. "Truly graceful."

K'Nabu took his hand and M'ka pulled him to his feet. "I'm going to the throttle you the next time I catch in a combat room."

"After that performance, I'm not so sure."

Ari was gone by the time K'Nabu regained his confidence. He sighed as he watched her leave with D'Miro.

"We have to go too," M'ka said. "You have to start on my dinner."

K'Nabu's nostrils flared, but he didn't protested as he followed M'ka out of the garage. Ari was nowhere in sight.

"I don't understand."

"What?" K'Nabu said taking one last look around before the garage was out of sight.

"She says absolutely nothing to you _and_ leaves with D'Miro and you still go after her."

K'Nabu usually found no reason to argue with M'ka over Ari. He wanted who he wanted and that was it. He also never questioned whether or not Ari felt the same way, but M'ka had to mention D'Miro. K'Nabu was determined not to acknowledge that there was clearly a past between the two.

"She does not love him." He needed to hear those words out loud to believe them.

M'ka continued to press the issue, but K'Nabu didn't budge. He was sure her heart belonged to him as much his belonged to her.

The sun was kissing the horizon when they arrived at the market. Vendors were beginning to pack and close their shops. Days ended early in the Mining Tribe and though M'ka had lived there his whole life a year in the Panther Tribe made him accustomed to more modern ways. He was as surprised as K'Nabu and they decided to split up to try get everything they needed.

K'Nabu was annoyed. Not only did he have to spend the night cooking for M'ka - and knowing him, he'd probably invited everyone from class - he was wasting time running around for food he didn't even want.

"You're getting four leave stew," he said as they watch the last shop close.

* * *

K'Nabu sat with his back against the wall and watched his classmates dance in the glow of fire light. His stomach was full of what turned out to be a delicious meal.

M'ka looked genuinely happy, which eased his guilt about dragging him home. Kora, a girl in his class from the River Tribe, asked him to dance and he declined. Milo told the story of his fall in the garage in perfect detail. So much so, that K'Nabu had to laugh himself.

But no matter what was happening around him, Ari was on his mind. The whole point of him being in the Mining Tribe was to be with her and now he couldn't muster the courage to even call her.

He wouldn't even be upset if she chose D'Miro. He was exactly the kind of person K'Nabu liked, so, of course, Ari would like him too.

On the other hand, he couldn't count the number of times her deep black eyes found his while his classmates searched for stardust.

"Okay," M'ka said nudging him with his foot. "You're ruining the mood. Just go and find her."

"You approve now?"

"No," M'ka replied. "But you look like someone stole your rhino and I'm tired of your face."

"It's not just her," he replied shaking his head. "I'm worried about my family."

M'ka pressed his lips together and squatted down so he could look his friend in eye. "Focus on the thing you can fix now. Then we'll worry about your family together."

K'Nabu smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. "You care about me too much."

M'ka stood. "I can't imagine why. You're not worth it."

"Hilarious." K'Nabu jumped to his feet. "I'll see you later."

Their dorm stood at the foot of a hill right at the border that divided the Merchant Tribe from the Mining Tribe. Lights flickered down below and K'Nabu decided that the Mining Tribe was its own mountain. During the day, he could see as far the center of the Panther Tribe. The only thing that obscured his view of home was the Palace's main tower.

He sent a message to each of his family members asking them for status updates, but he knew they wouldn't respond. For the first time he questioned his choice of rejecting his family's path and choosing a completely different one. He'd be with this brother at that very moment if he'd joined the Hatut Zeraze when his father begged him to. Now he was as far as he could've possibly been from almost everyone he loved the most.

Except for one person.

He turned to walk up the path that led to the Mining Tribe's center. He could call her when he was closer to the Chief's residence. So even if she didn't answer, at least he would've worked off some his concern.

He'd barely made it a kilometer before he saw her amble toward him. Her face, lit by dim yellow lights, was unmistakable. She took deliberately slow steps as if she was counting each one and then she stopped, tossed her head back, and started mumbling to herself. After a deep breath, she lowered her head and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw him.

"What..." she yelled. She took a minute to catch her breath. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." There was only one place at the end of the road she was walking. "You wouldn't be looking for me, would you?"

She folded her arms across her chest, her classic defense move, but to K'Nabu's surprise, she answered him.

"I was," she said. "I was looking for you."

"Why? You could have just called me."

"I wasn't sure if, I mean, I just wanted..."

She stopped rambling as K'Nabu approached her.

"Well, you found me," he said. He left very little space between.

Ari nodded and turned on her heel. "I wanted to show you something," she said climbing back up the hill.

K'Nabu followed without another word.

* * *

It was scary how good the Dora Milaje were at their job. Apparently, Ari's assigned guard had been with her all day at the mountain _and_ had just been following them on their way to the power distribution center. The only reason K'Nabu noticed her at all, because Ari asked her a question. At first he thought she was talking to him. Then the warrior's red armor glinted in the light and she was by Ari's side in a second.

"We won't be here long, Uzo," Ari said to her guard.

"For the last time," Uzo said. Her back was toward K'Nabu, but he imagined she was speaking through gritted teeth. "I report to you." And then she disappeared. Vanished almost instantly. K'Nabu thought if he held his breath he could hear hers, but he knew it was just his imagination.

Ari looked back at him. "Sorry," she said.

She pushed the door in and let K'Nabu through first. He was stunned by how cramped the space was. All of the power needed for an entire tribe in a space almost as small as his home. And now with the Nunjari, the space could be even smaller.

He recognized the machinery used to create the laser beams immediately. They stood side by side in between two of the old power cells. Why it took a week to install one, K'Nabu couldn't understand. There were so few materials involved.

"A lot of it is ceremonial," Ari explained crouching underneath the computer terminal of the power cell closest to her. "You know how elders can be about change." Her entire upper body was hidden. "Everything must be done with a purpose."

K'Nabu heard a sizzling sound coming from where Ari was stooped. She was using her kimoyo beads to slice through something.

"How long does it actually take then?"

"Officially, two days." She pushed herself from under the terminal and stood. "But Shuri and I did it in two hours."

He laughed. The world was a scary place now that Ari and Princess Shuri worked in the same lab.

She waved him over to look into her outstretched hand. In her palm was a tooth sized bit of vibranium.

"But the color is wrong," K'Nabu said examining it in his fingers.

"Exactly," Ari said smiling. He really missed that smile. "These old cells were designed to ideally burn out a few bricks of vibranium until they're basically dust."

"But nothing's ideal, so there's a limit to how much energy they can extract."

It was insane the way she was looking at him. He felt like the strongest, tallest, smartest man on the planet.

She lead him to one of the lasers and began the power-on sequence.

"I cannot let you help me with the Nunjari," she said as the laser charged. "But you should have a chance to see at least a little of what I get to see."

She showed him how to use nanites to guide the vibranium. "The state of this piece of stable vibranium is at the end of its life. We use these lasers to manipulate unstable vibranium at the end of its life. So I wondered what we happened if we did the same thing to stable vibranium."

"Seems like an inefficient use of Wakandan resources."

His insides churned at the sound of her laughter.

"Okay," she said. "You have to get the vibranium in position at the exact time I turn this laser on."

K'Nabu acknowledged that he understand. He set himself in position as Ari began her count down. On three, the laser hit the vibranium spot on. A rainbow of color flooded K'Nabu's eyes as the vibranium disintegrated.

"That's it," Ari said. "That's almost exactly the same as the Nunjari and I've been wanting you to see it."

K'Nabu smiled as he released the nanites.

"What do you think?" Ari asked him when he finished.

He couldn't believe how close she was standing and when he turned to face her she didn't flinch. She didn't even look away. She actually smiled when their eyes met. K'Nabu was sure she could hear his heart thump in his chest.

"I think," he replied turning his whole body to face her, "You need to tell your sister how you feel about me or I will."

Her brow furrowed. She nervously pushed her hair away from her face, but she didn't move away. He'd shocked her and she responded exactly the way he wanted.

"You wouldn't," she said finally, shaking her head.

That was a confirmation of her feelings and it was all he needed.

"I'm done waiting." He took a step closer. "And you're clearly done fighting."

He gave her time to retreat or even reject him altogether, because he knew she would never be happy if she didn't feel like she made the decision herself. And to his relief, she didn't fill the silence.

 _This is it_ , he thought. _Don't ruin it._

He put a finger under her chin to lift her head. He could see she was as nervous as he was, but he knew nothing was going to stop what was about to happen.

"I'll talk to her before I return to the palace," she said.

He smiled before leaning down to kiss her.


	21. Ari Part 9

Shuri never called. If she needed anything from Ari, a member of her guard would contact Uzo, and Uzo would relay the message. Ari's heartbeat skyrocketed when her kimoyo beads notified her to a call from the princess.

Ari quickly went over her time in the Mining Tribe to try to remember anything with which Shuri would find fault. There were so few things that actually troubled Shuri that Ari didn't have time to critique every detail of her performance to find the one little flaw. It was like trying to distinguish one grain of sand from another.

"Yes, I'm awake," Ari said. Her response was delayed, but Shuri didn't seem to notice.

"Have you installed the Nunjari yet?" Her voice was low and devoid of all of the joy that usually accompanied it.

Ari shook her head. "We're scheduled to do so tomorrow."

"I need you to do it today. Finish before this afternoon if possible, then take the Light Rail home. Uzo will be given the details of this change in plans."

"Yes, Princess." Ari never called her that. Shuri had forbidden it on the first day they met. But the authority in her voice demanded propriety. Further, Ari was extremely worried. She'd heard about the evacuations in the Panther Tribe. Some Panther Tribe members had arrived in the Mining Tribe the day before. Ari just assumed it was a precaution. There had been quite a few such events since Killmonger was in Wakanda.

Now Ari's instructions were to go home, which meant all non-combat palatial members were also leaving the city. Something was truly wrong, but Ari knew better than to ask questions about such matters.

"And the celebration?"

Shuri closed her eyes and shook her head. She'd clearly forgotten. "And that is also tomorrow?"

"Marana was elected acting Tribe Head until the Chief returns. If I go to her this morning, I could tell her to cancel and..."

"No!" Shuri yelled. She shook her head again. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. Ari's stomach was twisting so much from a mix of fear and nerves, she was sure should would wretch."

Shuri was silent for what felt like an eternity before she came to a decision.

"I will personally contact Marana and ask her if we can move the celebration to today. I don't anyone to worry more than they have to."

"Yes, Princess."

Shuri was obviously going through great pain to pull her mouth into a smile. "You'll have to try to relax before you see anyone, Ari. You look ridiculously anxious."

It was going to be difficult for Ari to relax. Ari didn't find herself nervous often, but when she did, her anxiety was uncontrollable.

"I will do my best," she replied just before Shuri left the call.

* * *

"Three!"

The laser hit the vibranium not quite as perfectly as Ari wanted, but the Nunjari powered on nonetheless and the elders, the few that remained in the Mining Tribe, were blissfully unaware. Applause erupted behind her.

She smiled at D'Miro, who nodded in return and then she faced the group of Wakanda's elite for questions. There were none, as usual, and the group shuffled out of the distribution center.

"Okay," D'Miro said when they were gone. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

D'Miro took her hand, lifted it between them, and then left it in the air. Ari's hand was noticeably shaking.

"You've done this many times," he continued. "I know you're not nervous."

She shook her head. "Not about this." She walked over to one of the old power cells to extinguish it. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Have you spoken to your family in the last few days?"

"Yes," he replied joining her at the second cell.

"Are they okay?"

He shrugged. "A bit annoyed because of the evacuation. We don't have much family in other tribes, so they have to stay in an inyo."

Ari remembered her last time in an inyo. She was on holiday with her parents in the River Tribe. The rooms were nice, well-decorated, comfortable, and spacious, but she didn't think the dozen or so inyos in Wakanda would hold every displaced Panther Tribe member.

"Just annoyed?" she asked. "Nothing else."

"Should there anything else?" he said. Ari could hear the concern forming in his throat. "And what does that have to do with why you're nervous?"

Ari moved to the third power cell. "Nothing." She smiled and hoped it looked sincere. "I'll be fine. I was only wondering what was happening in the city."

She could see that D'Miro was going to inquire further, but they both noticed someone standing in the entrance.

"I thought you'd be done," K'Nabu said. "I can return later..."

"No, it's alright." D'Miro looked at Ari one last time before going to the door.

He and K'Nabu clasped each others forearms and then touched shoulders.

"You have class in an hour," D'Miro told K'Nabu. Ari missed the wink he'd given him as well.

The intensity of the conflicting emotions that plagued Ari the moment she heard K'Nabu's voice sent her body to the floor. She was excited and happy to see him, but was equally distressed and also still reeling from her conversation with Shuri. She had maintained composure with D'Miro. She was sure if K'Nabu asked the right questions she would unload all of her fears and she didn't want to do that to him. Many of his family members were spread out among every combat force in Wakanda.

She managed to descend fluidly into a seated a position. "I'm just tired," she told him. "Up late."

He smirked. She'd been with him most of the night, but her remark wasn't enough to throw him off completely.

"When did you and D'Miro become friends," Ari said before he could talk. It was a good segway, because she'd honestly had the thought when she saw the way they greeted each other.

K'Nabu shrugged. "He's been spending extra time with me at the mountain. I won't get this much access to all of these varieties of vibranium when I leave."

Ari nodded. "Very true."

"And the way he leads the course I thought for sure his focus would've been mining. He was actually a weapons student and an expert on practical uses for vibranium and..."

Ari didn't pay attention to everything K'Nabu had to say about D'Miro. She already knew he was brilliant and she needed to calm her breathing.

"So you've chosen a focus?" Ari asked when he stopped talking. It was the right question. He didn't realize he'd lost her for a moment. "Weapons?"

He smiled. "You would love that, wouldn't you?"

Ari laughed at her inability to hide her distaste for weapon development.

"No," he continued. "And not because of you." He pointed to the Nunjari. "One of those could potentially power Wakanda for fifty years maybe more."

"So..."

"So what if we took one into the solar system." His eyes went to the ceiling. "What if it powers one of our space stations? What if, assuming that T'Challa doesn't follow in his father's footsteps and actually approves an extraterra planetary settlement or even an intergalactic mission, which, I know, is stretch, but what if we took the Nunjari. Imagine the possibilities."

Ari couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What are you looking at?" K'Nabu said when his eyes found hers. He pulled at lose coil of her hair and smiled.

"When I return to the palace," she said. She swallowed down the knot that she had been suppressing since morning. What if she never returned the palace?

She shook her head and rubbed her eyes so her attention would stay on K'Nabu. "When I return, I am to train in the palace's Intragalactic Program, so that in two years, I will lead a team to safely transport a Nunjari to space."

It took a solid minute for K'Nabu to grasp what she was saying.

"Intragalactic Program?"

Ari nodded and genuinely smiled at the wonder in K'Nabu's eyes. "Shuri gets what she wants. And she wants to go to space. And I volunteered to join her."

Another minute of silence passed laughter poured out of him. In that moment Ari had almost completely forgotten her worries. It was remarkable how similar their brains functioned.

"So," she said, "By the time you receive your qualifications. I'll be in space."

"I'll be on the next ship after you." He pulled her head towards his pressed his lips onto her forehead. "Couldn't be more perfect."

* * *

Marana made her announcement that the festivities were to be held a day early in the Tribe's Center. There were grumblings from elders, but mostly people accepted the change without complaint. There were questions, of course, but Ari knew none of them would be answered.

Ari was in no mood for a celebration. She was convinced she wouldn't be able to handle it in the way her position required. The minute she made the decision she wasn't going, a familiar face, her favorite face, appeared from her kimoyo beads.

"How are you, my sister?" Ari said nearly in tears.

Ari's heart sank. Kazu, who was generally of the same disposition as Shuri, was in much the same mood Shuri had been earlier that day.

"Kazu, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Kazu replied. She forced a smile. "But I am here to see you."

"Here?" Ari said looking out of her window. Kazu stood at the entrance of the Chief's residence.

"What are you doing here?" Ari hurried out of her room and darted down the long hallway to greet her sister.

Ari threw her arms around her almost as soon as the doors opened. "I've missed you so much, Kazu." She wiped the tears with the back of her hand.

A few seconds into the hug Ari realized Kazu was not hugging her back.

Ari took Kazu by the shoulders and held her at arm's length so she could see her. "Okay, seriously, what is the matter?"

Kazu was having a hard time looking Ari in the eye. "We were told to temporarily leave our Quadrants and return home."

Ari sighed and brought her in for another embrace. "I know. I'm worried too. We have to trust those who have chosen to protect us."

She released her sister and led her into the chief's residence. "That doesn't explain why you're here, sister. This is not home."

Kazu shook her head. "Palace members also left the city. I thought I would come here and we could go home together."

Ari smiled. "This is an excellent surprise. The best surprise."

Kazu plastered a smile to her face, as practiced and mechanical as the previous.

The party would surely change her mood. "The Nunjari celebration is happening right now. You can wear one of my robes and we'll go together."

Ari took Kazu's hand and pulled her into her room. She wasn't used to being the happy sister, but she was used to being the eldest. If Kazu wasn't feeling her best, Ari would certainly to do her best to change that.


End file.
